Almost Goddess
by markergal
Summary: Aikarina, or better known by the gods as Rina, is the daughter of Aphrodite. Aphrodite has many children, but none of them are like her. Rina's father was a demigod. The combined powers of a demigod and a goddess has produced a child of unimaginable power. What happens when Zeus forces her out of Olympus and to the famous Camp Halfblood? Starts at The Titan's Curse
1. Chapter 1

The flowers sway in the breeze giving the garden the appearance of small waves in a pond. Their vibrant colors clash together like a watercolor painting. Red, blue, yellow, orange, all the colors right before me, mixing together to form the perfect landscape. Normally I would sit and stare at the gorgeous landscape, but now is not the time.

Twigs snap under his feet as he walks by my hiding place in a bush. My hand covers my mouth so that he won't hear my loud, uneven breathing, though I'm sure he can hear my heartbeat knock against my ribs. I see his muddy tennis shoes stop then continuing to walk again. The sound of his feet against the grass becomes quieter and quieter.

I don't dare move a muscle. One wrong move and my cover could be completely blown and that can most definitely will not happen.

The thorns of the bush dig into my skin and live pinpricks of almost glittery blood. It's not as golden as the gods' or as red as humans'. I don't pay much attention to it since the scrapes will heal in a couple of seconds, but I still feel the pain. I dig my fingers nails into my palm to keep myself from hissing in displeasure.

The footsteps come back. He walks past my spot again. Through the bush I swear I hear him mutter several Greek curses under his breath.

I lean forward to see further down the path. The garden in front of me is empty. The only living souls here are me and the butterflies dancing in the air.

Just when I thought he was gone, I feel two hands yank me out of my spot. He holds tight to my waist when I squirm to get away. My heartbeat is racing at a million miles per hour and my survival instincts are kicking in. I jab my elbow into his stomach and expect him to bend over in pain, but he just stands still. I scream so loud that I'm sure Hades heard me from all the way in the underworld.

Apollo quickly covers my mouth with his hand. I look up and see him covering his to hide his snickers. "Gods, Rina. You almost burst my eardrums" he jokes. His blonde hair flops into his eyes in the slight breeze. His eyes light up with amusement and behind that is a power only a god can hold. My cheeks light up with embarrassment and I stop trying to escape.

If you took a long look at Apollo, you wouldn't think of his as anything more than an eighteen year old boy who just got back from a beach. His tank top, worn out tennis shoes, messy haircut, and shorts didn't help with giving him a godly appearance

I pout and pull myself away from him so that there is a reasonable distance between us. "I thought you were trying to kill me. Screw you, Apollo. You didn't have to sneak up on me like that." I mutter.

If I had said this to any other god, I would be a pile of ashes. No matter how much god I have running through my veins. One wrong word and even the most innocent person will be changed into a grub if the god is angry enough.

He shrugs and holds back a snicker. "I can't help it if you're a terrible hider."

Apollo looks like he's going to say something, but pauses. He looks at me with a glint in the eye that I know too well.

"Ahh, Apollo. Please don't." I groan.

He holds up his hand to silence me. "Be quiet, Rina. You sound like my sister. It's not my fault when I feel a haiku coming on. _What a bad spot. I found you in five minutes. I can do much better._" he says with a cheeky grin. Apollo smiles at me with a triumphant look. Artemis says that his 'haiku phase' appeared right after he visited Japan. He has been this way ever since.

I sit cross-legged on the ground and look up at the god. "Last one was six syllables. For it to be a proper haiku, it has to be five." I remind him.

He furrows his eyebrows. "Fine. Change it to _I can do better_. That's five." Apollo counts the syllables several times on his fingers. When he's sure that he's right, he places his hands back to his side.

I shake my head at him then lean back on the ground. The grass tangles itself into my already messy hair. "I don't think you can do better."

He smirks at me. Apollo pounces up into the air and lands next to me on the grass "Never doubt a god."

I raise an eyebrow at him. My bright blonde hair blows into my face and I quickly push it away before looking at Apollo again. "There's a reason you're not the god of hide-and-seek" I tease. I jab him in the side just to irritate him more.

He points his finger with a fake scowl on his face. He places on a serious mask, but I know underneath he is holding back his laughter. "You watch your mouth or I'll tan you to a crisp with the sun"

I scoff at him. "What are you going to do? Drive your chariot too close to Olympus?"

He crosses his muscular arms over his chest. "Maybe. Maybe I'll just us my godly powers and shoot sun rays out of my hands." Apollo grabs a handful of grass and tosses it at me after looking cautiously around the garden for Aphrodite. If she saw him messing up my appearance like that, she would have his head on a platter.

I tilt my head. "You can do that?"

His stern façade crumbles back to his usual, joking self. "I'm a god, not a superhero." Apollo smirks and throws another handful of grass at me. This time I retaliate and through grass right back at him.

There is a snap of a twig, alerting us of another presence. I seem surprised that someone else is in the garden but Apollo acts like he knew someone was coming the whole time. I guess when you're a god you seem to know when people are coming and going.

I look at Apollo in mock fear. "It's probably Athena coming to find me for our afternoon tutoring."

He places a hand over his heart. "We can't have you learning, can we?" Apollo grabs my wrist and we seem to melt into the air. The colorful garden becomes one with me before fading to a dark-grey fuzziness.

I realize that I closed my eyes during the transition. When I open them, I see us high above the garden in an olive tree. The branches bend to give me a comfortable place to sit. I stroke the bark of the tree affectionately.

I pluck an olive and put it in my mouth. Apollo does the same, except the eating it part. He found it a better idea to throw it at me and getting the olives stuck in my hair. With the sticks, leaves, and olives in my hair, I know that if mother could see me she would be disgusted.

"Stop that" I hiss as the footsteps get closer.

He raises a golden eyebrow. His eyes flash the same color. "Why should I?" Apollo then throws another olive at me.

"Because Aphrodite will kill you if she sees the condition I'm in, and you're only making it worse with the olives!" I hiss.

"I'm a god, I can't be killed" he reminds me.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Oh she will find a way. You know her as well as I do." I mutter. The wrath of my mother seems to make him stop.

Athena stops right underneath the tree. Her grey eyes scan the garden for any movement. Her dark green dress seems to blend in with the ground and I didn't notice her until she was right below me. When she sees nobody in the garden, she prepares to leave. That is until Apollo tries to throw another olive at me. It bounces off my head and lands by her feet.

She looks up to see Apollo and me sitting in the tree. We are covered in dirt from a day of extreme hide-and-seek in the garden, not my idea. There are leaves in our hair from running through bushes and other plants after irritating several of Poseidon's horses, again not my idea. Lastly, I am covered in olives and we all know whose fault that is.

Her eyes glance over me until settling on Apollo. She narrows them and her grey eyes turn into arrows that are piercing Apollo's skull. He flinches away from her harsh look and his expression is telling me that he wants to dissolve into the tree. Since he is a god, it wouldn't surprise me that he would be able to do that.

"Why did you put Rina in a tree and why is she absolutely filthy?" She asks with a calm and steady voice.

Apollo's face falls slack with disbelief. "Why are you blaming me? Who knows, maybe this is all Rina's fault!" He blinks then his body and clothes becomes completely clean.

I slap his arm for throwing me under the bus. He glares at me then turns his attention back to the increasingly irritated Athena.

"Because you are irresponsible whether you accept it or not. Always has been. Ever since Rina came into our lives you have tried to imprint your childish way on her impressionable mind. None of the gods would doubt for a second that is of your doing" she glances over at me. Athena's lips curl into disgust at my filthy dress, hair, and body.

Apollo looks like he is about to argue but gives up when her words rang true.

"Don't you have duties to take care of?" Athena asks, her face softening.

Apollo nods. He grabs my shoulder in a reassuring way. "Good luck, kiddo." He says softly so Athena can't hear. We both know what will happen next: her famous lectures. Apollo seems to melt into the air before me. It's like the light is bending right around him as he disappears before my eyes.

I carefully climb down the tree so that I don't tear my dress more than I already have. Once Athena can see me clearly, she frowns, looking awfully like Aphrodite whenever I come to her looking like this. And since Apollo had taken to keeping me company most days, it's every single day.

"It may be wise to fix yourself. There are important decisions about to be made and you need to be at your best." She mutters quietly as she tries to dust off my dress. Her words seem like they have a meaning more than just fixing my appearance.

After several moments of dusting off my once white dress, she gives up. "Oh, you can just fix it."

I nod and close my eyes. Power surges from my heart. My hair untangles itself and each strand is pulled back to its proper place by an invisible force. My dress straightens itself out and the dust rolls off it like water on a raincoat.

Athena nods in approval. The expression on her face reminds me so much of my mother that I'm beginning to think that Aphrodite is rubbing off on her. "Much better. Now we must begin your studies at once."

She turns around briskly and walks to a section of the garden designed for me. There is a small table and a chair made just for my height and weight.

I sit down and Athena makes books appear beside me. She looks down the spines until she finds the proper one. Athena hands the leather-bound book to me. My hands skim over the leather cover and the gold lettering carefully painted on.

"We will start with battle strategies." She says, not looking for my input. I refrain myself from groaning. Today is going to be a long day

* * *

I hand Athena the work that she has assigned me to do. She has made me write out dozen of battle plans with detailed instructions to carry them out.

She glances over them. I stare at her face for any sign of disapproval but I see none. Her face is like a rock; it never changes. Even when she is completely emotional, she doesn't let it show. Her ability to control her emotions is something I admire about her.

"You did well. We can cut our tutoring short" she says.

I look at Athena in shock. It takes all of my will power to not let my mouth fall open. Never has she ever done this before. "Are you sure? We only worked for an hour."

Her mouth curves into a smile but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I just assumed you would want some time to relax and enjoy yourself. It doesn't hurt to take a break from your studies every once in a while"

I stand up in a daze. She looks concerned for me. But why? I bow slightly and mumble out a thank you. Then I rush out of the garden and to the streets of Olympus.

I blow my bangs out of my face in annoyance. My whole afternoon will be spent doing nothing. Apollo is gone and Athena has cut my tutoring short, which usually would go far into the afternoon. I consider seeing what the other gods are doing, but they are usually busy. For some reason they are more panicked than usual. Maybe it has something to do with Hermes's son, Luke, and Kronos. Or perhaps with Thalia, Zeus's daughter, turning sixteen sometime next week. If she has her birthday and she is the child the prophecy speaks of, the fate of Olympus will be decided in a matter of days.

Though they do not talk about it often, I know that they are worried about it. Some of the minor gods gossip that the titans will rise up again and the world will reform to what it was before the gods. But that's only gossip and I know that I should never listen to it.

A street vendor lures me over with the promise of fruit. I examine the stand with an extravagant variety of fruit from all around the world lined up in neat rows. I decide to be unoriginal and pick up an apple. It is only when I'm about to bring it to my lips is when I realize that I have no coins.

I place it back on the stand. The vendor frowns.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any coins with me. I can't pay you." I say, truly sorry that I can't buy the amazing apple. It looks as if someone handpicked it and painted the red with a small paintbrush.

She waves her hand as if it is nothing. The woman looks at me with the same expression Athena was looking at me. Concern. "Nonsense, Aikarina. This is on the house"

I flinch at the use of my full name but I don't correct her. I try to smile but her expression is starting to worry me. One look around the street and I see everyone staring at me like her. With trembling hands I grab the apple and nervously chew on it.

I start to walk fast down the street to escape the eyes. My speed keeps increasing the more eyes that are on me and soon enough I am sprinting to the only place I know I will be alone. Their eyes follow me but soon enough the disappear behind plants and tree branches.

The garden's emptiness welcomes me. The only person here is me. Or so I think. At my table Ares, God of War, is polishing his sword. He runs a clean rag over it, holds it up to the light, and then repeats. He doesn't look up when I walk over to him but I know he notices me from the large sigh he gives.

"Hello Aikarina. Or should I say Rina, apparently you like that more" he says without looking up. Ares sounds terribly bored and like he doesn't want to see me. Deep down I feel offended that my own grandfather doesn't want to visit me.

I bow slightly, knowing that he is expecting me to even if he's not looking. "Hello Lord Ares. I don't mean to sound rude but why are you here?"

He looks up at me. His eyes are like there is fire burning behind them. I want to fight something; anything but I quickly repress it. I'm not sure if it's because of his aura or my genetic connection to him. My father told me, before he was executed by the gods, that our relation to Ares makes us more aggressive than others. He warned me about giving in to the temptation of the fight.

His voice rudely brings me out of my thoughts. "Your mother is sworn on oath to secrecy, as are most of the gods. I'm not. At least not yet. She asked me to give you a heads up on what's happening." he says casually. Ares sheaths his sword with a loud swiping noise.

I furrow my eyebrows and try to think of any reason that Aphrodite would want Ares to speak to me. Ever since the incident where he tried to set the gods against each other a year or two ago, she has told me to stay away from him to keep up appearances.

"Well?" He asks impatiently.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to ask what it is? I know you want to. People have been giving you sappy looks all day, haven't they?"

I look at him confused for several seconds. "Okay... What does she want you to talk to me about?"

He takes in a deep breath and I know it's going to be a long story. I lean against a tree so my feet won't get tired.

"It's about your genetics. My son and your mother. Something that clearly wasn't supposed to happen. I'm not going to sugar coat it; you're a mistake. It is unheard of for a demigod to procreate with a god. Of course, you already know this. Your father was punished and so was your mother. Now people are starting to wonder about you. There has never been anyone who is more god than human. It has always been you're pure mortal, half of a god, or full god. Others think that you could be a danger to us and that you are more powerful than they originally thought. Long story short, you're either going to die or get booted off of Mount Olympus."

I place a hand up to my forehead to keep my world steady. It's as if my hand is my anchor to this world and if I move it even an inch, I will go flying out to space. A sliver of hope in me is saying that Ares is lying, but I can't find a reason why he would want to.

"Is that why the gods are meeting more often" I look up at Ares with wide eyes. He glares at me with a look so intense I feel guilty that I did something wrong. Instantly I straighten myself out and look him square in the eye. Once Ares sees me standing proudly, his harsh gaze softens to just a regular glare.

He nods. "They're arguing like crazy. Some want to you stay on Mount Olympus but that's a lost cause. There's no way the 'guy in charge' will let that happen. Someone said that they should send you down to Camp Halfblood to live with the other children. Several want you dead. Just end the threat now. I'll let you imagine who said that." He says casually.

It doesn't take a detective to know that is was either Zeus or Ares himself that thought of the last option. Neither have been very fond of me. I try to hold myself back from lunging for his throat, but I know that is just what he wants. He's the God of War after all.

He chuckles then walks away. "The decision is tomorrow at sundown. Don't be late." With that he leaves me alone in my garden at the one time where I wish wasn't be alone.

I hug my legs to my chest and keep myself from crying. If even one tear exited my eye, I would never forgive myself for showing such weakness. No. I'm going to show the gods that I'm strong and that one decision will not break me. They will see what kind of person I am.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all the nice reviews! I really appreciate it!**

* * *

Sunlight dances into my room through the window. The white curtains on the window don't help block out the sun, but I like it this way. I prefer to wake up to the sun more than to an alarm clock.

The cool breeze makes me shiver. I fight to warm myself under my wool blanket. With a groan I wrap myself up in the blanket and stand up. Even Olympus isn't completely immune to the signs of winter.

I walk up to a vanity my mother gave me when I was born. She told me that it is made from the wood of the last tree in an ancient forest. It's rather sad when you think about it. The vanity is covered with unnecessary trinkets and jewelry. There is makeup and a hairbrush on it but its more for decoration since I don't need it.

I look up in the mirror and gasp. I'm a mess. My hair is in tangles from tossing and turning last night. There are dark bags under my eyes and my face is unusually pale. Ares's words are still swirling around in my head and I assume that they were the cause of my poor night's sleep.

I wave my hand over my reflection in the mirror. My hair untangles itself and the bags disappear. It's as if nothing happened.

I frown at myself. People have always told me that I look young for my age, whatever that means. I don't know how old I am. Nobody had told me and I doubt they will. I wish I at least knew when my birthday is.

A dark brown color starts at my roots and swirls down to the tips like colored dye being dropped in water. The dark brown spreads across my hair until every strand is the same color. I examine my face. I think I look older. The brown in my hair makes me seem more like an adult, I think. My hair shrinks from almost down to my waist to right below my shoulders. I definitely look older with this haircut.

I don't know what I hope to gain with changing my looks. Maybe I'm hoping that the gods will see me as a more mature person, and hopefully this will make them want me to stay on Olympus. It's unlikely but I can't help but grip to the small hope with all my strength.

I walk over to my closet to find the most refined, mature dress I own. In the end I find a red dress that goes down to my ankles. The dress hugs my torso then flares out by my hips. I'm sure back down on Earth this would be very formal, but on Olympus this is casual. In the back of my closet there is a sweater. I quickly ditch my blanket and put it on.

I walk out of the door and instantly I am on the street of Olympus. Once I close the door, Apollo is by my side. He frowns at my hair.

"Why'd you change your hair?" He asks. Apollo doesn't bother to wipe the frown off his face. My cheeks heat up I'm embarrassment. Maybe it was a bad idea to change my hair.

"You don't like it?" I mumble. I look down and pretend I am amazed with a small weed on the cobblestone road.

He shakes his head. "Nah. No offense but you're not a brunette. You should go back to blonde."

I frown at him for his brutal honesty, but that's Apollo. The brown in my hair quickly morphs into the bright blonde color it was before but I keep it at its short length.

Apollo nods in approval. "I have some time before a meeting so I thought I could kill time spending it with my favorite girl, who isn't my daughter of course"

I smile cheerily. He laughs and ruffles up my hair. I quickly force each strand to go back to its place so it looks like nothing has touched me. Apollo snaps his fingers and a bench moves behind him before he sits down. He raises an expecting eyebrow at me. "So, what do you want to do?"

My eyes shine in excitement. Usually it is Apollo who decides what to do and I don't argue since he is a god. Though he is less scary than the others, I'm sure he can turn me into an insect or something with a snap of his fingers. If he does do that, it would probably be more because of getting a kick out of it instead of pure spite.

"I've always wanted to ride a Pegasus." I say with a dreamy expression. Once I see Apollo's mischievous look, I know I'm going to have to set him straight. "With Poseidon's permission, of course." I add.

He groans. "But that take all the fun out of it!" Apollo opens his mouth as if to complain but he quickly shuts it. He looks like he was just reminded of something awful and he gives me a look if pity that everyone gave my yesterday. His face morphs back to a happy, cheerful one. Apollo grabs my wrist and tugs me towards Poseidon. By how fast he is running, it most likely looks like he is pulling along a small doll. I don't know where he's going but Apollo seems confident so I don't question it.

After a long walk, we finally find him. Poseidon is fishing in a small pond. He stands on the edge of the pond, right above the water. When he would catch a fish, speak some kind words to it, and then set it free. The fish that come out of the pond range from simple freshwater to colorful ones that you would only find in the ocean.

"Poseidon?" He looks over at me with a smile. The expression on my face tells me that he has expected me for a while. I bow my head out of respect. Apollo just nods at him in acknowledgement.

"Yes, Aikarina? Oh, I always forget. You like being called Rina instead. I completely understand; It's a rather big mouthful"

I bounce up and down on the top of my feet nervously. "I... We just wanted to know if we could ride a Pegasus"

Poseidon's eyes light up with interest. He nods then gets up from the pond. Poseidon motions me to follow him towards the stables. Apollo follows close behind.

The horses whinny when Poseidon approaches. They make a sound of appreciation when he strokes them as he passes by.

We pass by many stalls until we reach the last ones. In the last four stalls there is a Pegasus in each one. The white horses have huge wings attached to them that are folding to their sides. Each wing is about double their body length. I'm surprised that they aren't cramped in the tiny stalls but they seem comfortable.

"Beautiful creatures. Do you know the story of how they were created?" Poseidon asks. There is a glint in his eye when he looks over at me.

I stay silent for several moments. "The first Pegasus sprang from the blood of Medusa after Perseus beheaded her. From then on they have been breeding until now where there are dozens of them."

He nods. "That's correct. They are gentle but noble creatures. If I allow you to ride one, will you show it the respect it deserves?"

"Yes sir" I whisper. I reach out and touch the horse. It nuzzles my hand and makes me smile. I look up at Poseidon to see him smiling too.

Poseidon chuckles. "Apollo, I believe it would be best if you didn't ride one."

Apollo's mouth falls open in shock. "Why not?" He whines.

Poseidon laughs again. "Even though she is a young girl, she has shown to be more mature than you at times. Don't take offense, but the last time I let you near a Pegasus the roofs of all the cottages had to be repaired"

If a god can look bashful then Apollo looks exactly like that. I feel sorry for Apollo that everyone seems to think that he is so irresponsible when it's the opposite. Sure he does some rather stupid things, but he's not completely irresponsible. If he was, I would have died during one of his schemes years ago. He has taken care of me and has practically raised me. I think of his as more of his daughter than Aphrodite's.

Poseidon takes one of the horses out of the stall. It gazes happily at the god as he coaxes it out of the stables.

"Now, the most important thing to remember is that it deserves respect. They are proud creatures and if you don't respect it, it won't respect you." He tells me.

I reach my hand out to see if its mane is as soft as it looks. Once I feel it I almost gasp. It's softer. It moves it's head for me to stroke it more. In some ways the Pegasus reminds me of a friendly dog.

"I understand, Lord Poseidon." I'm sure that my eyes are as big as dinner plates as I stare at the majestic horse.

He clasps his hands together to form some sort of step for me. After the initial shock that a god would be doing this, I place my foot between his hands and push myself on the horse.

"Hold onto the mane and trust 'ol Abraxas. He's used to first-timers. Just stay on and he'll fly a path I will tell him so you won't have to worry about steering."

"Thank you so much. I have always wanted to ride one of these" I rush out. A smile is permanently plastered on my face.

Poseidon winks at me. "It's nothing. Now, hold on!" He says something mentally to Abraxas.

The Pegasus makes a loud grunt then runs forward at full speed. He unfolds his wings to their full length. I hold tight to his mane, as tight as I can without hurting him. The wings pump up and down at a fast pace. Soon enough we rise above Olympus.

Down below I can see the minor gods walk down the streets. I can see the street venders sell overpriced items and the customer reluctantly handing over their drachmas.

The wind flow through my hair but I'm unsatisfied. I let out a sigh and my hair grows to its original length. Finally it's long enough to fly behind me like I would see in paintings.

The Pegasus flies around Olympus then back to the stables. Abraxas lands on the ground gracefully. There Apollo and Poseidon are waiting.

Apollo smirks at my once again long hair. "Got tired of short hair while on Abraxas?"

I have my hair straighten itself out then form a side braid. "It was fun while it lasted but I need my long hair." I reply.

Poseidon extends his hand to help me down. I take it and drop off of the horse. It isn't until I am off Abraxas that I realize how tall he is. I'm not completely sure how I got on!

I bow to Poseidon. "Thank you Lord Poseidon."

"You're quite welcome, Rina. Apollo, remember what we spoke about?" He turns to look a Apollo who is looking sickly pale.

"Yes, I remember." He says quietly.

Poseidon pulls me close so that he can whisper something to me. "Brace yourself." When he pulls away I am clearly confused. He doesn't bother trying to explain what he means to me. Maybe it's about the decision tonight, but how can he possibly know that I know about it?

Poseidon says goodbye then leaves us alone in the stables.

"What was he talking about? What did you talk about?" I ask. I hang on to Apollo's arm so that he can't escape from answering my question.

Apollo covers his worried expression with a smile. "It's nothing really. Don't worry about it"

"But what if it is really important!" I pry.

He shakes me off his arm and looks incredibly uncomfortable. "Rina, I don't want you to worry about it, for your sake." He begs. For some reason I have a feeling he means for me not to worry about it for his sake.

I tug on the sleeves of my sweater. "Is it about the decision at sundown about whether or not I will die?"

He looks at me in shock. Apollo opens his mouth to speak but closes it as he comes to a revelation. He only mumbles one word. "Ares."

Tears start to cloud my vision and my chest tightens up from the anticipated tears. "Is it true? Lord Ares wasn't lying, was he?"

Apollo shakes his head. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I've been sworn to secrecy so I can't speak more about this but Ares wasn't lying about whatever he told you."

I take in sharp intake of breath. So it was all true. My eyes begin to sting from holding back the tears but I refuse to cry. Especially in front of Apollo.

"Is there anything I can do to make them want me to stay in Olympus?" I ask at last.

Apollo clenches his fist in irritation. "Honestly, I really wish I could tell you what is happening. It's making me furious that they would keep this from you, but I can't say anything about it." He looks like he's going to combust but then his face lights up. Apollo straightens his back and smirks at me. "The oath of secrecy didn't say I couldn't bring you to the meeting."

I look at the god in shock. "Are you sure that Lord Zeus won't be angry?"

He chuckles. "Of course he will be angry but no one said I couldn't do it. The meeting starts in a little while so we should start heading towards the throne room"

I frown at Apollo. This has to be one of his most dangerous ideas yet. I'm sure that the minute I walk into the throne room, Zeus will smite me with one of his lightning bolts before I can say a word but Apollo doesn't share the same concerns as I do. He walks with a bounce in his step and a smile on his face all the way to the throne room. There is no doubt in my mind that he is one of the happier gods on Olympus.

Before I know it, I'm standing at the front of the throne room. The thrones are shaped in a 'u' and are made for giants. Several of the other gods are already there. They are talking among themselves but stop once they see me.

"Apollo, why have you brought her here?" A woman says. Her dark brown hair rolls down her back in a cascade of curls. Her red-painted lips shine in the torchlight and her eyes are a magnificent bright blue. If I wasn't for her tone of voice, I wouldn't have recognized her as my mother.

She steps off her throne and shrinks from about ten feet to normal human size, even then she is tall. Aphrodite hurries over to us and grabs my arm as if to drag me away before Zeus arrives.

"Calm down. I'm just bringing her to sit in on the discussion. She has a right, you know." Apollo says while trying to calm himself. His eyes shine with power that dares Aphrodite to argue with him.

She straightens her back proudly. Aphrodite lifts her eyebrows at the god. "She cannot be here. If Zeus…"

"There is no rule that says she can't listen in on her own trial." Apollo points out.

Aphrodite bites on her lower lip. She thinks for several seconds then nods in agreement. "I suppose you're right." Aphrodite notices me staring at her newly sculpted face. She smiles and pats her hair. "You like it? I just changed my appearance this morning. I figured it was time for a change." She then giggles like a schoolgirl.

"You look beautiful, mother." I say. Her smile widens at my compliment.

There is a loud rumble of thunder in the throne room. Apollo and Aphrodite leave my side to take their place on their throne. The floor seems to shake, then in a burst of light Zeus is on his throne. He gazes thoughtfully over the room until his sharp eyes land on me.

"Aikarina, why are you trespassing in my throne room?" He asks. A rumble of thunder echoes after every word. I swear that the room is buzzing with electricity.

Aphrodite glares at Apollo. He shifts in his seat nervously then clears his throat to get Zeus's attention. His sharps eyes are torn off me and are now on Apollo.

"I brought her here. I thought that if she were my daughter, I would want her to hear the discussion about her fate. It is only fair." He says slowly and calmly in order to not offend the powerful god.

Surprisingly Zeus agrees. "Very well. She may stay for the discussion." I look around the room to see the other gods just as shocked at Zeus for agreeing so easily. Most of the times he is very stubborn and fights to get his way. It is out of character for him to do this.

He snaps his finger and a stone chair comes up behind me. I quickly sit down before he reconsiders.

Zeus clasps his hands together. "Now, let's start this discussion.

* * *

It has been several hours and the gods are still arguing without any sign of letting up. I have taken to covering my ears to protect them from the loud yells, but it's useless. Nobody gives the other time to talk. If they would just be quiet and listen to each other maybe they would be productive.

Outside of the throne room I see the sun set behind the horizon. It takes several moments for Zeus to realize this. There is a loud boom of thunder than almost shakes me from my seat. The gods stop talking immediately and turn towards Zeus.

"It is sundown so we must make the decision. It is clear that there are only two choices: send Aikarina to Camp Halfblood or to kill her. We will vote on this now with no further discussion." Zeus commands. The gods nod at his orders.

I sink into my seat and pull my knees to my chest. My heart feels like it's going to burst right out of my ribcage by how fast it is beating.

Aphrodite starts. "Camp Halfblood."

Apollo smiles a half-smile as if to tell me that everything will be okay. "Camp Halfblood."

Ares opens his mouth with a smirk. It falls when he sees Aphrodite glaring at him. He seems to be changing his mind at the last minute. "Camp Halfblood." He mumbles just loud enough for us to hear.

Artemis looks at me with a proud expression on her face. "Camp Halfblood."

"Camp Halfblood." Athena says with a hint of emotion.

Demeter frowns and looks terribly guilty. "Kill." I hold back my gasp of shock. I never thought that she would vote for me to die. Especially because I help her harvest all of her crops every year.

Dionysus looks at me through groggy eyes. I can only assume that he is still not completely over his probation from wine. "Kill."

Hephaestus glares at Aphrodite. I know that he will vote against her just to mess with her and Ares, no matter what his opinions are on this. "Kill."

"Camp Halfblood." Hera says after a moment of consideration.

"Camp Halfblood." Hermes says.

Hestia looks at me thoughtfully. "Camp Halfblood."

Poseidon smiles. "Camp Halfblood."

Zeus frowns at the gods who voted me to live. "Well, it doesn't matter anyways but kill. The majority rules. You, Aikarina, must leave Olympus by midnight. Dionysus will take you to Camp Halfblood."

Dionysus glares at me as if I did something truly awful to him.

I place a hand up to my head to steady myself. My fate is sealed. My whole world is turned upside down and now I must live with the 'mortals'. If they are as bad as some of the gods say they are, then I am in for a crazy time.


	3. Chapter 3

The gods shrink down to their original sizes and go back to their own business. Artemis rejoins her hunters, Zeus and Hera go for a nice dinner, and the others tend to their godly duties. Hermes winks at me then immediately takes his phone out of his pocket to return the many calls. Dionysus walks up to me with a frown on his face. He drinks from a can of Diet Coke and winces when he swallows. I haven't seen Dionysus around much since he is forced to be the Camp Director of Camp Halfblood, but when I have he always looks like he is swallowing poison.

When he is right in front of me, I notice details I haven't noticed before like the age lines on his face and the small grey hair in his beard. It is odd for a god. Usually they enjoy being young and youthful, but Dionysus looks like the average middle-aged man.

"Aikeriti, I'll bring a car out front of the Empire State building to bring you to camp when you're finally ready to go." He grumbles. Dionysus begins to turn away but he snaps back to face me. His purple eyes shine with power. "Also, you will address me as Mr. D when we are back at camp. I don't care if you're the golden child of Olympus or not, I will strangle you with vines."

I gulp back my fear at his expression. The Ares part of me is itching to fight him. Deep down it strains to be released from the cage I have trapped it in, begging for me to release it. It would be incredibly satisfying wiping the smug expression on his face, but I'm not an idiot. I know that if I even try to make a move, he will have me hanging from the ceiling by my foot, attached to nothing but a small vine. I've seen it happen and let me tell you, it wasn't a fun thing to see.

"Yes, sir. I have till midnight, right?"

Mr. D sighs in annoyance. "Didn't you listen to him?" He turns around and chugs the rest of the pop in the can. Then he throws it to the ground where it disappears into smoke. Mr. D walks out of the throne room with a pair of keys jingling in his hand. He stops right before the entrance way to drink another can of Diet Coke.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see Athena smiling down at me. Apollo, Aphrodite, Poseidon, and Ares are standing behind them with the same happy expression, except for Ares who looks like he could care less. He doesn't force a smile on his face until Aphrodite pinches him. His grin looks more like a psychotic murderer than encouraging. I have to stop myself from backing away.

Athena places a hand on my cheek. "Don't worry, Rina. You will be just fine in Camp Halfblood. And if you have any troubles, I'm sure my children will help you just as they would their own siblings." Athena says to me.

I smile back at the goddess. "Thank you. I will miss you." I say. Then I do something that surprises all of us, I hug her. She stiffens then wraps her arms around me. Athena whispers some encouraging words about how I will be fine and that I'm strong but I don't listen. I'm concentrating on memorizing the small details of her, the woman who practically raised me. I know that gods constnatly change their appearance, but I just need to memorize Athena as she is.

When I pull away I swear I see tears glistening in her grey eyes. If there were, she hides it quickly behind stern, but kind grey eyes.

Athena holds out her hand and a small purse appears. She hands it to me. "This bag can fit as many things in here as you wish. I have already taken the time to put in some of your study books so that you can continue learning. I have even added several more advance books that you can get to later in your spare time. If you ever need more, let me know. I will have Hermes bring more to you at camp."

I open up the black purse and sure enough I can see dozens of books the size of thumbtacks in the bottom. I reach down and take one out. The book grows in size until it is normal. I place it back into the bag and I watch it shrink down to a miniature size.

She places a hand on my shoulder. "If you ever have trouble, call on me. The Athena cabin will always be open to you, I'll make sure of it." She moves aside so that Apollo can talk to me.

His smile seems forced and it doesn't reach his eyes. Apollo looks... sad. Believe it or not I have never seen him sad and I don't like it. I want the cheerful, happy Apollo back. I believe I will miss Apollo and Athena the most out of all the gods.

"Don't be sad. I'll be fine." I say at last. Deep down I hope that what I said will be true.

He isn't so cautious about showing his feelings. The smile quickly falls and is replaced with tears and a sob. He rushes over and hugs me tight.

"You'll see me again." I manage to choke out. I take in a deep breath, taking advantage of the opportunity when Apollo loosens his hold on me.

"The next time I visit Camp Halfblood you better be there, otherwise I search to the end of the earth to find you. I am a god after all." He says through tears. Apollo manages to control his sobs to just a silent cry. It isn't until I feel a hot tear hit my hand that I realize that I'm crying too.

Apollo reluctantly pulls away from me. Unlike normal people, his face isn't red and puffy from crying. Because of the god in me, mine doesn't get that way either. Definitely a plus for being mostly god.

He reaches into his shorts pocket and pulls out a small canister. Apollo places it in my hand.

"It's a ray of sunshine. Much more reliable than the flashlights down there. Won't ever break and you don't have to replace the batteries." He points towards the bottom where there is a small dial. "You can even adjust the brightness. Be careful not to turn it all the way bright. It can blind someone."

"Thank you so much." I say. I try to hold back as many tears as I can but it is a useless effort. Just the fact that Apollo is getting all emotional is making me emotional.

Apollo sighs. "You have grown up so much. I remember when you were just a little baby. I was the first one to see you, you know. Well after Aphrodite, your father, Zeus, and Ares. But, that still counts for something, right?"

I nod. My lips curl into a small smile at his antics.

"I also remember when you took your first steps. Your first word was 'duckie'. I taught that to you after Aphrodite had me babysit. I even remember when Hermes taught you to lock pick your first door…." He says thoughtfully. Behind him I see Aphrodite seething with anger. I guess nobody thought to tell her the Hermes taught me how to be the perfect thief. If I wanted to, I can break into a bank easily down on the earth. Now that I think about it, almost every god chipped in to teach me something. Even Ares taught me how to use a sword!

I hug Apollo to keep him from rambling on about all of my 'firsts'. The last thing I need is for him to say something about the first time I stabbed someone, or the first time I rolled in the mud. Aphrodite would definitely not be happy with either of us if he accidentally lets that out.

"Thank you so much, and I don't just mean for the present." I say into his shirt. It comes out muffled but he understands what I said.

"You're welcome, Rina." He whispers. We release each other and it's Aphrodite's turn to say goodbye. I put the canister into the bag Athena gave me. From the corner of my eye I see Athena smile when I use her gift.

Aphrodite engulfs me in a hug. I hug her back but it's not as loving as the last two hugs. Athena and Apollo were the ones who raised me, not Aphrodite. She was barely around during my life and has only started appearing when I became interested in clothes and makeup. Athena and Apollo have been there for me more in one day than Aphrodite in my entire life.

She strokes the back of my head. "Oh, my baby. Tyler would be so proud to see his little girl grow up so pretty."

"Thank you, mother." I say, sounding like a robot.

Aphrodite pulls away with a large smile on her face. "I don't have anything physical to give you, but I have the gift to top all gifts." She beams. "I will give you the gift of amazing, beautiful love. Somewhere out there you have a soul-mate. I have chosen specifically who, but I won't tell. You both will have the most amazing love story since the beginning of time! Oh, I just love a good love-story!"

There is a silence around the throne room that covers us like a blanket.

"Do you really think that's the best idea for her to have love right after she gets to Camp Halfblood?" Athena comments, breaking the terrible silence. Aphrodite glares at her with piercing blue eyes. She looks very threatening, but against Athena she is no match.

"I know what I'm doing. I'm the goddess of love after all. Of course, it won't happen right away, so she can get settled in and such, but it will be there." She squeals in excitement. "I just can't wait! I'm tempted to just force you both to fall in love right now but you're both far too young. Shame."

Apollo and Athena share a concerned look. I stare at them with wide, pleading eyes. Just hoping that one of them will help me and tell Aphrodite to stop. I don't want or need a destined love.

Apollo's eyes flash a bright golden color. He gasps and looks at me in pity. It must be truly terrible.

I smack my forehead. "Please tell me it didn't just become a prophecy." I whisper too quiet for Aphrodite to hear. I don't have to whisper anyways because she wouldn't be able to hear. She's too busy gushing about how magnificent the love will be to Ares who pretends to be interested so that he can go on a date or something with her later.

Apollo gives me a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. It's more like a poor attempt to reassure me. "Sorry kiddo. It's written in stone now."

"Well who is it?" I ask.

He smirks at me. "Now where's the fun in that? You'll have to figure it out for yourself. But I have to give it to Aphrodite, it will be... something."

I consider slapping him for not telling me but Ares comes up to give me his gift. I shift on my feet uncomfortably as he approaches. Without a doubt he is only here because my mother put him up to it.

Ares hands me a small knife. I take it curiously. It's not nearly big enough to protect me. I don't think it's long enough to cut through the skin! I glare at Ares as if this is a joke.

He glares right back at me. "Don't give me that look. I know it seems small but the blade changes sizes so you can have a small dagger or a long sword, whichever you want. Just put your finger on the jewel on the hilt to change the size."

I place my thumb on the emerald on the hilt of the blade. Just like Ares said, the blade starts to grow to the side of a normal sword. I hold it in my hands. It is perfectly balanced and seems like it was made for me. I look up at Ares in shock, thinking that this is some trick. This gift is actually good.

"Thank you, Lord Ares." I bow slightly to him. He nods and moves back to Aphrodite's side. This time it's Poseidon's turn.

He smiles at me and I smile back. I unconsciously sniff the air. Poseidon smells like the ocean. "Don't worry, you will be just fine at Camp Halfblood. I don't have a gift for you but I will give you some advice." He turns to the other gods. "If you don't mind, I would like to talk to her alone."

The other gods nod and move to talk with each other in a different corner to give us privacy. Poseidon walks out of the throne room and I follow without hesitation.

"What advice did you want to tell me, Lord Poseidon?" I say as politely as I possibly can.

"I have several pieces of advice, in fact. The first is to advise you to keep your identity a secret. Chiron and Dionysus know, but keep the fact that you're practically a goddess away from other campers."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "Why?"

He purses his lips. "Others may want to exploit your powers." He means Kronos and Luke. "Others may become jealous and not want to befriend you. Someone like you should always have friends. It will keep everyone safer in the long run."

We walk around outside of the throne room. The streets are empty. There is not a single soul in sight. It's very eery.

"Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?"

Poseidon nods. "You must prepare yourself. Something is going to happen, I don't know what but I feel it. All of the gods feel it also but they choose to ignore it. It's as if something is building up. Make friends and train as hard as you can. There is no telling what is going to happen."

I find myself speechless for several moments. "I will do my best."

He smiles. "I know you will. Now, I know this is a time where we should be giving you things, but I have a favor to ask you."

My eyes widen. "Yes, anything."

"Watch out for my son, Percy Jackson. He needs people like you on his side. Make sure he stays safe."

I nod a little too eagerly. "I will, I promise."

Poseidon chuckles. "When you promise a god, you must intend to keep it." These are the last words he says to me before disappearing into thin air.

I walk back to the throne room, a bit dazed about what just happened. As soon as I enter I am cornered by Mr. D.

"Are you ready to leave?" He asks. Mr. D taps his foot against the marble impatiently.

I narrow my eyes at the god. "It's not midnight yet." I remind him.

He raises an eyebrow at my facial expression but he doesn't say anything. I guess working in camp full of teenagers can make anyone used to someone talking back. "No, there is still a couple of hours till then but Chiron is waiting for you. He has your bed ready and everything. It would be rude to keep him waiting." He snarls. It doesn't take a genius to know that he has an alternative motive other than protecting Chiron's feelings. My guess is that he just wants to get off of Olympus as fast as he can.

"Just let me say goodbye one last time." I whisper. As I walk away I hear him jingle a set of keys with an incredible amount of impatience. I'm sure if I turned around right now he would have the biggest scowl ever seen on his face.

I walk up to the group of gods. The look at me with expecting eyes.

"Dionysus…." I hear a cough behind me. "I mean Mr. D wants us to leave now. So, I guess this is goodbye."

Athena reaches out to me. "Goodbye, remember what I said. The offer will always stand."

Apollo wipes his eyes with a silk rag that I never noticed he had before. "Goodbye, Rina."

Aphrodite grabs Ares's hand for support. She wipes several stray tears from her eyes.

"I will miss all of you. I hope maybe I will see you again." I say to Athena, Aphrodite, and Apollo. They each hug me again before letting me leave with Mr. D.

* * *

Mr. D is driving the car down the roads of New York. I am in the passenger seat and trying to relax as much as possible. This is the first time I have ever been away from Olympus and it is terrifying. There is so much more people than I originally thought and it's also brighter. The buildings are lit up with lights and you can barely see the stars. It's rather sad if you ask me. The stars are some of the most beautiful things in this world.

I grip the strap to my purse firmly, as if it's going to run away from me at any second. It still smells like Athena: new books and daffodils.

"I bet you're wondering why I chose to have you killed, my dear Aitarika." Mr. D says. He barely takes his eyes off of the road.

I mentally roll my eyes at Mr. D for getting my name wrong then I shake my head. "Not really." I turn to look out the window at the busy street. Even at night there are people walking about.

He turns and glares at me with blood-shot eyes. "Well, I'm going to tell you anyways whether you like it or not. You are aware that monsters are attracted to halfbloods and just enjoy beating the tar out of them, right?"

I nod. "Yeah, aren't monsters attracted to demigods' scent? The more powerful their parent is, the more powerful their scent."

"Correct. Monsters are going to be attracted to you like a moth to a flame. You're never going to get a second away from them. Or maybe you have so much god in you that they stay away. Either way, I was just planning to save you the hassle of finding out. But I'm betting on the moth thing." He shrugs.

"That's… nice of you?" I say. Mr. D glares at me for my sarcasm.

"Wouldn't you rather die peacefully by some poison surrounded by the gods than have your intestines ripped out by who-knows-what?" He says irritably.

I bite my lip to help my concentrate. "But you just said that you're not sure. Maybe the monsters will stay away from me."

"And maybe not. Probably not"

"But you admit that it's possible for them to not want to get near me at all." I say.

Mr. D glares at me with such intensity that I shut my mouth. He is about to retort back but stops. We look out the window and see a large camp covered in snow.

"We're finally here. Welcome to Camp Halfblood"


	4. Chapter 4

**I would just like to thank everyone who left a kind review and who followed. You guys truly made my day! I hope you continue to enjoy this story!**

**I don't own any characters except for Aikarina.**

* * *

The camp is covered with a thin layer of snow that looks like Zeus sprinkled it with a thin layer salt. Within the borders of the camp it is noticeably warmer. I heard that the weather is regulated here so during the summer it is always shining.

I know it is in the middle of the night but the camp just looks so quiet and lifeless. There's not even the quiet hoots of owls in the woods. I heard that almost all the gods' children come here to train during the summer, but I never expected it to feel this empty. There is a large pine tree on a hill with dragon guarding it. Occasionally it would let out a puff of smoke like it is smoking a cigarette. On one of the branches there is a glimmer of gold. I instantly recognize it as the Golden Fleece.

I hold back at laugh when I remember what happened during the summer. The tree was dying because Luke Castellan, the son of Hermes, poisoned it with a substance only found deep in the Underworld. Several campers retrieved the Golden Fleece from the Sea of Monsters to save the tree that acts a magical barrier around the camp. The fleece cured the tree, in fact it did such a good job that it freed Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, from her imprisonment. Olympus was a mess for the next few day.

Once I step foot on the ground, a loud screech that belongs to a harpy echoes around the campsite. I grab the knife Ares gave me and force the blade to grow to the size of a sword.

"Damn harpies." Mr D mutters. He glances over at my sword. I expect him to lecture me about being paranoid, but he doesn't. "Might as well keep that out. It's highly unlikely they will attack with me here, but if they do you're on your own." He warns. His words only make me hold my sword out further. I glance over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure that the harpies aren't right behind me.

The black car we were riding in disappears into a cloud of smoke. It drifts up to the sky as if nothing ever happened.

Mr. D guides me towards a large house. There is a small light on in the bottom floor and in the attic but other than that the entire building is dark. Small balls of fire light up the camp. They float besides the doors of the cabins and the big house. It doesn't give off any heat but it lights the area very well. Some are even different colors like a bright blue and yellow.

There is another screech from behind me. It sounds much closer than before. The hilt of my sword shifts around my fingers to give me a better grip as I tighten my hold on the piece of metal. I dare look over my shoulder to see nothing but several cabins. Maybe the harpies will stay away like Mr D said, but I won't let my guard down.

He pushes through the front door and lets it slam in my face. Holding back several unkind words, I open the door and enter the building. Inside I see a man in a wheelchair and reading a book next to a warm fireplace. He has a thick beard and is wearing a warm sweater with a hoof-print on the front.

I sigh in contentment from being out of the cold outdoors. It feels very good to stand in front of the fire.

He looks up in surprise when Mr. D clears his throat. The man must've been very into his book to not notice us enter. The man stands up and his body extends further than what I originally saw. The wheelchair is magically altered to hide the centaur's lower half. Very clever, especially if he would need to go outside of Camp Halfblood.

I smile at the centaur, immediately I know who this is. "You must be Chiron."

He clops over to me. I'm surprised that the wood floors aren't scratched from his hooves. When he is standing up straight, I have to extend my neck straight up to look him in the eye. "And you must be Aikarina." He observes.

Mr. D sits down on a chair. "No, it's Aidaripa." He says before chugging another can of pop. Mr. D swallows and winces, but still makes another can appear. Chiron rolls his eyes at him and turns back to me.

I shake my head and he raises an eyebrow. "I would like to be called Rina. It's just easier to call me that." I explain.

He nods. "Welcome to Camp Halfblood. I have been made aware of your... situation."

I shuffle me feet on the floor nervously. "Can you keep it a secret? I don't want the other campers to know."

Mr. D scoffs at me but Chiron promises. He grabs several orange shirts and spare jeans from a chest and hands them to me. On the front of the cotton shirt it says, 'CAMP HALFBLOOD' in bold letters. I look at the tags to see they are exactly my size. Maybe Aphrodite contacted him ahead of time and made sure I had clothes that fit.

"Your schedule here is different than it would be during the summer, when most of our campers arrive. Since there are only a few campers, we just split up the chores weekly. This week all you have to take care of is the cabins. Starting tomorrow you will go around and clean each one so that they aren't terribly dirty when the rest of the campers arrive. Nothing too complicated. Next week you will clean the armory. I believe you are the only one in Cabin 10 during this time. I'm sure the others will come during the summer." Chiron says.

"Cabin 10?"

"It's the cabin for all the children whose mother is Aphrodite. I assume you would desire that one over the cabin for Ares since you are more closely related to Aphrodite. However, if you want to be placed with the children of Ares, that will be manageable." He says calmly. Mr. D, on the other hand looks irritated that Chiron has to explain all this to me. I guess he assumed that I would already know everything about Camp Halfblood.

I shake my head. "No, I think it would be better for me to be in Cabin 10."

Chiron and Mr. D both nod in approval. For the first time since I have met him, Mr. D looks like he almost respects me. But whatever kind look he had on his face turns to a scowl when he sees me looking at him.

"Well get on, then. Get to your cabin." He sneers. Chiron sends a glare the god's way but Dionysus ignores it, or just doesn't care enough.

He looks towards the door. "I will show you to the cabin. It's not too far."

Chiron leads me outside. The screech of the harpies still sound close, like they are right around the corner but they don't bother us. Maybe it's because of me or Chiron, I can't be sure. He leads me to a cabin with a 10 on the front. Once I get inside, I immediately feel like a Barbie doll. The walls are pink and the windows have a white trim around them. The bed sheets are a soft blue and the floor is checkerboard linoleum. It reeks strongly of perfume, as if someone sprayed a whole bottle before I entered. The one thing that really amazed me was how many mirrors are on the walls. I guess when you have one the most vain goddess as a mother you should expect a ton of mirrors.

"This will be your cabin. If you were undetermined you would stay in the Hermes cabin, but that's obviously not the case. In the morning I will send someone to your cabin to help you with your first day of chores then in the afternoon you may look around. Sleep well." He gives me an understanding look. "I know it is not exactly Olympus, but I'm sure you will enjoy it here."

Chiron leaves me alone in the cabin. I'm terrified but excited at the same time. I have a feeling I'm going to like it here like Chiron said. There is a chest next to a bed with my name painted on with gold letters. I take off the purse Athena gave me and place it in the chest. When I close it there is a loud click of the chest locking. Thinking that my things will forever be stuck in there, I open the chest. It opens as smooth as it did before. When I close it there is the same clicking noise.

I look around to see each bed has a chest by it. There are all different names painted on the front of the chest but some are bare. I walk over to a chest with a camper's name on it and try to open it. It won't budge. I breathe a sigh of relief. The chests only open to their owner. At least I can sleep in peace knowing that my things will be safe.

I lay down on the bed and sleep, knowing that tomorrow will be a busy day.

* * *

I wake up to the sound of a loud trumpet. I groan and cover my head with my pillow.

"Why does Apollo have to wake me up so early!" I yell into the pillow. My voice comes at muffled and quiet. I start to get up to tell him to stop playing the trumpet when I realize that I'm not in my room in Olympus. There is a knock at the cabin door. A small sliver of hope thinks that it's Apollo on the other side, here to bring me back to Olympus. Honestly I wouldn't mind which god it is. Even Ares. I bounce out of bed, my hair fixing itself while I run towards the door.

The last of my hair has placed itself into a curly ponytail when I open the door. I feel my face turn from a hopeful smile to a scowl. Instead it's a boy I have never seen in my life. His arms are so huge with muscles that I'm sure that he can snap me in half. His face is stern and causes me to shrink back a little. As if his face wasn't intimidating enough, he is very tall. He towers over me like the Empire State building towers over New York.

The Ares in me forces myself to stand up straight and look him in the eye. "Yes?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

He holds out his hand; I swear that it is as big as my face. There are small burns of his hands from working with metal. Without hesitation I take it and we shake hands.

"My name is Charles Beckendorf from Cabin 9." I look behind him to see a brick cabin with smokestacks coming out of the top. The door is a reflective metal that shines bright in the morning sun. The front of the cabin is decorated with dozens of metal trinkets. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the cabin for the children of Hephaestus.

"Hello, my name is Rina." I say politely. He looks so much older than me so I feel the overwhelming want to be as polite as possible.

He nods. "Chiron wanted me to show you where the cleaning supplies are. After you're done cleaning cabins 1 through 3 you have free time to practice or do whatever. But I'm sure you'll just want to hang around the cabin since it's freezing out here." Charles shivers slightly under the large coat he is wearing. It must be because of my 'almost godly' powers that I don't feel the cold like he does. I notice that it's there but it isn't causing me such discomfort that I have to bundle up in heavy clothes just to keep myself from shivering.

"Thank you." I mumble out as he walks towards a small shed. He unlocks the door and inside there are cleaning supplies ranging from sponges to a watered-down lava solution used for removing mold.

Charles points towards the half of the shed with... milder supplies. "Don't bother using that crazy stuff. No one ever uses it because, well, who wants to mess around with a cyclops snot floor-shiner? Just stick to the brooms and dusters. No one expects a full 100% clean-sweep. Just sweep the floors and dust around a little and you should be fine."

"Easy enough." I say confidently.

Charles chuckles. "I'm just going to warn you that when you get to the Hermes cabin to be extra careful. They like to mess around with people and place booby traps. They get a kick out of it. I have asked the Stoll brothers to tell me where they put them but they won't tell. Last time I had cabin duty I got covered head to toe in this glue stuff they made. Was sticking to stuff for at least a week."

My eyes widen at his story. A part of me is glad that I don't have to clean the Hermes cabin... yet. "Thanks for the warning. Maybe I can convince them to tell me before I clean the cabin."

He then makes a rather unattractive snort. Charles looks at me in disbelief. "Good luck with that. I gotta go clean some armor, it's been nice meeting you." Charles says before he leaves me alone in the shed.

* * *

Several days later...

I stare at the two Stoll brothers. Their features make them look like elves and the smirk on their face shows that they are hiding something. Whatever that something is, I really don't want to find out. I have put off cleaning Cabin 11 for as long as I possibly could. Now is the moment of truth.

"Just tell me where you put the trap and nobody will get hurt." I threaten. If it's even possible, Travis and Conner's smirks get bigger and more evil. Charles is right, they do get a kick out of this.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rina." Travis says casually. He places his hands in his jacket pocket and rocks back and forth on his heels.

I suppress the urge to punch him in the face. I'm starting to really get irritated with these two. Not only do I have to clean their filthy cabin, but I might be another victim of their pranks.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Listen, you tell me now or I'll..."

"Or what?" Conner asks. He raises a brown eyebrow.

I narrow my eyes at him. "I don't know but it will be terrible. Tell me where it is. I know you have some trap somewhere in your cabin."

The brothers share a look with each other. They both look down at the ground with a defeated look on their face. "Fine, you're right. There is a trap. It's under our bed."

My smile looks more like a grimace. "Thank you. Now if you excuse me, I will be cleaning your cabin." I swear that I hear a snicker behind me but I pay it no attention. When I enter the room, it is like walking into a barn. Clothes are scattered everywhere, candy wrappers litter the floor, and there is a dust bunny in every corner. It amazes me that a room can get this dirty, especially when it's just these two here during the winter.

I look under the bed, ready to look for the trap and hopefully deactivate it. The minute I put my face under, a puff of purple surrounds me. My lungs fill with the purple dust, causing me to cough. I run out of the room to get some fresh air. I look down at my hands to see them stained the bright purple. I try to force the purple off of my skin but it stays there.

The twins eyes grow wide then they burst out laughing. It takes a lot of self-control to keep myself from attacking them like the Ares part of me desperately wants to do.

"You guys are dicks!" I scream then rush away to the bathroom to see the full extent of their damage.

The minute I am in front of the bathroom mirror, I have a mini heart attack. My face, neck, chest, and half of my arms are covered with the purple dye. Some of my hair is also the same color. I look like a walking grape.

After a long time of hot water and scrubbing, I am able to get all the dye from my skin. My skin is now a bright pink from the rough towels. Mr. D doesn't bother to get soft, cotton ones for us. Now I have to fix my hair. I try to force the purple out of my hair with my abilities, but it doesn't work. I can only assume that the purple dye has magical staining properties. The only reason I could get it off my skin was because I cleaned it off of me fast enough before the stain could stick. I run my head under the warm water in hopes that it will come out like on my skin. To my dismay it doesn't.

Deep down I am just itching to show the Stoll brothers that they have messed with the wrong person. My hair turns a bright red, like Ariel in the little mermaid, to match my anger. The spots affected by the dye stay the same bright purple. Not even changing my hair color will make the dye leave. I sigh and contemplate my options: shave off my hair and risk it never growing back (I know it's crazy to think that but my mother has warned me many times never to do that) or dye it to make the same purple then wait for the dye to grow out. You can guess which one I picked.

The purple rains down from my roots to the tips of my hair. My anger dissolves into fascination. I thought I would absolutely hate my hair this color, but it's the opposite. Instead of looking completely ridiculous, it actually looks good! But just because I like my hair doesn't mean I won't teach the brothers a lesson. No, they will get what they have coming to them.

* * *

That night I sneak out of my cabin and into the Hermes. Both of the brothers are snoring peacefully. Little do they know what I have in store for them.

I reach down and touch Conner's forehead. With my powers I change his hair color from a nice brown to puke green with brown tips. Then I grab some lipstick from my bag and smear it all over his face, making sure to write 'I HATE SATYRS' in huge letters. Next I move to Travis. I have to hold back an evil laugh as I gaze down on the second brother. He looks so nice and peaceful, unlike the mean prankster he is when he's awake. I place my hand on his forehead and change his appearance. His hair morphs to pink with blue highlights. He looks like cotton candy. Then I make sure to scribble on his face with lipstick and write the same words.

By the time I am done getting my revenge, I feel very satisfied. Who knew revenge could feel this good? I sneak back out of their cabin and back into mine, as if nothing happened. That night I could hardly sleep from the excitement of their reactions in the morning. Revenge is sweet.


	5. Chapter 5

**I would just like to thank everyone for their support of this story. It really means a lot to me. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for Aikarina a.k.a. Rina.**

* * *

The next morning when the Stoll brothers woke up there was a loud commotion. You could hear their screams all the way at the far end of the forest. And when they ran to the bathroom to wash the lipstick off of their faces, they got tripped by several angry Satyrs into the mud. At the end of it all the brothers have been very good sports. They both said that they probably had it coming since my hair is purple now. In fact, I think they admire me now because of it! They clearly stated that we are even now but that doesn't mean I haven't been punished for the prank.

For my little prank on the Stoll brothers I have to hand wash each pebble on the shore of the lake. Apparently the water nymphs have been complaining for a while about how filthy they are and Mr. D enjoys making people suffer by doing menial tasks.

I pick up a slimy rock. It's covered in moss and these weird worm things. With a piece of steel wool I clean it until it shines, figuratively because rocks really don't shine. I then throw the rock back into the semi-frozen lake only to pick up another. My hands are red from the cold water, and I know it should feel cold, but it doesn't bother me like the other campers. In fact, I'm certain that if I wanted to I could go swimming right now and would be just fine.

There is a flash of light in the sky. The temperature starts to rapidly increase. I wipe a bead of sweat from my forehead. The snow around me starts to melt slowly but surely. I glance up into the sky to see Apollo's chariot in the form of a clunky bus fall right towards the lake.

I don't waste a second to run from the lake's edge. The chariot disguised as a bus falls into the lake with a loud splash. Luckily I ran far enough away not to be drenched. In the lake I see bubbles and steam come from the waves. The huge bus floats in the water and glows a dull amber from the heat.

Artemis's hunters, several demigods, a Satyr, and Apollo step out of the chariot. Apollo's eyes light up with happiness when he sees me. He opens his arms wide and I happily run into them.

"Rina! Oh, it's been too long!" He says with a smile on his face. I hear several of the hunters make noises of disapproval, but they were never fond of Apollo in the first place.

I giggle. "It's only been a week!" I reply.

"Like I said, too long!" Apollo holds me close for another hug.

He gasps as if he just realized something. Apollo backs away from me and looks at the top of my head. It takes me several moments to realize he is staring at my hair.

"I didn't know that you liked the color purple." He says.

My cheeks flush in embarrassment. I look down at the ground and shuffle my feet in the sand. Luckily Apollo sees this and decides not to push it. I don't really want to tell him about the Stoll brothers and how they tricked me into dying my hair a permanent shade of purple.

"Have you met these guys?" He points towards the hunters, the Satyr, and the demigods. I shake my head. Apollo then begins to introduce everyone. "Well, you already know about Artemis's hunters. That boy there is Nico and his sister Bianca. That stunning girl is Thalia and the boy next to her is Percy." He leans over and whispers to me. "I'm sure you've heard a ton of gossip about those two back in Olympus."

I nod my head. They have been the talk of Olympus for a while now. It is crazy how interested the Olympians are in those two.

Apollo sighs and ruffles up my hair. "Sorry Rina, but this baby should be over New Jersey by now. I promise that I'll catch up with you sometime." He looks over at the 'chariot' thoughtfully.

"Goodbye." I call to him as he gets into the driver's seat of the bus. He presses a button on the key and it morphs into a red Maserati. Apollo starts up the car then flies into the sky in a flash of light.

"Who are you?" Percy asks. He scans my face as if he's trying to figure out who I am. Maybe he thinks that I am a past camper. His eyes travel to my neck, where on a returning camper there would be a necklace.

I smile. "I'm Rina. Apollo already introduced me to all of you." I add at the end.

Thalia rolls her eyes. "We know. We were there."

I narrow my eyes at the girl and she narrows hers as well. Her eyes are much more beautiful than mine. Maybe even Aphrodite's! They are a brilliant blue. I'm not sure that even with my abilities I would be able to replicate such a wonderful color. Even though she has beautiful eyes, I don't think I like her one bit. The way she is glaring at me is as if I just stabbed her in the stomach then asked if I could borrow her armor after she died.

The boy named Nico's eyes grow wide when he sees the climbing wall. I haven't personally been on it yet but I plan to soon. "Whoa, is that a climbing wall?" He asks Percy. Nico looks excitedly around the camp. Even the strawberry fields seems to interest him.

Percy nods and looks at the wall thoughtfully. "Yeah."

Nico looks at Percy in confusion. "Why is there lava pouring out of it?"

"Little extra challenge." Percy answers. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, do you-"

A girl I recognize as Zoe Nightshade, one of Artemis's hunters steps forward. Several years ago I spent a month with Artemis's hunters. They showed me how to hunt and track, but I never was very good at it. Zoe was one of the few hunters there that welcomed me with open arms and didn't completely disown me after I refused to make the oath to Artemis, but I'm sure she has completely forgotten about me since I have grown since then.

"I know Chiron." She says stiffly. Zoe's nose wrinkles in disgust as she thinks about the centaur. "Tell him we will be in cabin eight. Hunters, follow me." She stops suddenly and turns around to face me. Her eyes grow wide and a smirk grows on her face. "Aikarina, pleasure to see you again. It's been a while. You surely have grown since I have last seen you."

I nod. "Thank you. You haven't."

Zoe lets out a dry laugh. "That is what happens when you're immortal. Well, if you ever want to join us, you know where we will be. Lady Artemis would be overjoyed to have you hunt with us again."

I shake my head. "Thank you but I'm fine."

She sniffs in disapproval. "Shame. Such wasted potential. But if change your mind, you know where we will be."

Zoe leads the hunters to Cabin Eight. The Satyr tries to lead the hunters to the cabin but they completely ignore them. I chuckle to myself. It seems as if every Satyr is in love with Artemis and the hunters.

Thalia glares at me. "So you're a hunter."

"No, of course not. If I was I would be with the rest of the hunters."

"But if you weren't then how did they know you?"

I return the glare with a sharp intensity that even Thalia looks taken aback. "That's none of your business." I look at Percy and Nico with a softer expression. "If you want I can show you where Chiron is since I have to tell him that I can't do my punishment anymore unless I want to burn the skin off my hands." I look towards the boiling lake. The water nymphs don't seem to mind the scorching water one bit. It seems as if they like it. Well, it must be a nice break from a half-frozen lake.

We start walking towards the big house when I realize that we are missing someone. I face the new camper. "Nico, it's Nico right?"

The boy nods, a tad too enthusiastically.

"Where's your sister? Isn't she a demigod too?"

Nico looks down at the ground and mumbles something awful about the hunters. Based on his expression it means that the hunters have another member. Even I know better than to press the issue.

After several minutes of silence, Nico speaks up. "Who's Chiron? I don't have his figurine."

Figure? I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. What could he possibly mean by that?

"What does he mean by figurine?" I whisper to Thalia as Percy explains who Chiron is.

Thalia shrugs. "I think it has something to do with this card game the kid has." She says but she doesn't look too sure herself.

We enter the big house and immediately are greeted by Chiron. His eyes twinkle with the excitement of a new camper. Mr. D grumbles something about getting back to the game, and that's when I realize that they are playing some sort of card game. I swear I see stacks of drachmas on the table but Mr. D covers them up quickly.

"Percy, Thalia, Rina... Ah! And this must be….." Chiron pauses. The name is on the tip on his tongue.

"Nico di Angelo. He and his sister are halfbloods like us." Percy says confidently.

"Airakiki! Why are you not polishing the pebbles like you were told to do?" Mr. D snaps. For the first time since I entered the room I have a good, clear look of him. He is wearing a neon leopard print suit with purple running shoes that scuff up the wood floor. It is clear the nobody has told him how horrible he looks. That or he doesn't care enough. Probably the latter.

I sigh and don't bother to correct him on my name since he's just going to get it wrong the next time anyways. "The sun chariot fell into the lake and it's boiling. I don't really feel like losing my hands right now." I say, clearly irritated. I have put up with Mr. D for the whole week and I'm already at the brink of snapping at him. There's no way people can stand him for the whole summer!

Mr. D glances out the window and sees the steaming lake. He groans in frustration, as if this is a burden on him. "Fine, but you better polish them extra shiny tomorrow. I'm getting tired of the water nymphs complaining! They always find something to complain about." He grumbles.

Percy shuffles on his feel nervously. "Sir, something went wrong at the school."

The smile on Chiron's face disappears. He scans the group. "What's wrong? Where's Annabeth?"

Mr. D takes a swig from a can of coke. "Oh dear. Not another one lost." He says indifferently. Chiron looks distressed while the rest of us are really confused. It seems like nobody else knew about a lost camper.

"What do you mean? Who else is lost?" Thalia asks.

Suddenly the door slams open. The Satyr runs in with a huge smile on his face. I wince when I see the forming black eye and a red hand print on his cheek. But despite his injuries, he still has the same twinkle in his eye when he is around the hunters.

"The hunters are all moved in!" He says with a huge smile.

Chiron frowns but replaces it with a small smile. "The Hunters? Grover, perhaps you should take Nico and Rina to the den to show them the orientation film. During all the chaos of directing a camp I forgot to show it to our dear Rina."

Grover nods and leads the way. I follow him and Nico follows me. I look behind me to see Nico staring at Grover's hooves in fascination. When he notices me looking at him, he smiles. He looks so happy and content that I can't help but smile also.

Grover leads us to a small den. There is a leather loveseat and a small, old television in front of it. It looks like something right out of the '70s. The Satyr takes a tape and jams it into the VCR. Much to his dismay it spits it back out. He jams it back in again but this time it stays.

There is a loud buzz on the screen before it plays back a fuzzy video that looks like it was filmed decades ago. The color is dim and the audio is barely heard over the buzz from the screen. I don't pay attention. Instead I count how many photos are in the room. Lining the walls are pictures of campers from every year. What is kind of scary is that most campers don't show up in more than four of the pictures. The optimistic part of my brain tells me that they were just too old to attend camp anymore. When the film is halfway done, I counted forty pictures, not counting the ones in picture frames on the desks.

Nico seems to be very intrigued with the video. His eyes grow wider when he sees two people fighting with swords.

"Will I be able to do that?" He asks me.

I shrug. "Sure, that's why we're here. To train."

The more I look at Nico the more I realize that he looks very familiar. I'm sure I have seen his parent around in Olympus, but I can't place my finger on it. Another thing that strikes me about him is that he looks right about my age.

"How old are you?" I ask out of the blue.

Nico thinks for several moments. His eyebrows come together in confusion, as if it's a distant memory that he can't remember. After several moments of silence, he speaks up. "Honestly, I'm not sure."

I look down at the floor, disappointed. There goes my plan to figure out how old I am.

The film ends and the screen goes blank. Grover leans up against the tv and taps his hooves against the floor. "Any questions?" He asks me. Nico opens his mouth to fire off a round of questions, but Grover stops him. "Nico, how many questions do you have."

Nico bites the inside of his cheek. "At least ten."

Grover pops out the tape and puts it back into its case. "Maybe you should just save them for later, then. We don't have much time. Let's just head back. I'm sure Chiron has a lot to tell you."

We get off the couch and follow Grover back into the main room of the building. Chiron has gotten up from his wheelchair and is walking around in his Centaur form.

Nico bounces up and down in excitement. "You're… You're a Centaur! That's so cool!" I giggle at him. That isn't the reaction I thought he would have. Maybe something more along the lines of completely freaking out.

Chiron smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. I look at the rest of the people to see them with grimaces on their faces, except for Mr. D who has a full scowl.

"Yes, Mr. di Angelo. Though I prefer to stay in human form in the wheel chair during first encounters." He explains.

Nico looks at Mr. D like he is seeing him for the first time. "Whoa! You're the wine dude!"

My eyes grow wide at Mr. D's expression. I nudge Nico who looks at me in confusion. "He's Dionysus." I whisper but somehow the god hears me.

"What did I say you could only call me at camp?" Mr. D snaps. I mumble something about only being able to call him Mr. D under my breath.

"Dionysus." Nico whispers under his breath as if it's something rare and valuable. But once he truly gets to know Mr. D, he won't think that highly of him.

Mr. D looks at Nico with a terrifying expression, but Nico doesn't seem phased. "Names are a powerful thing, kid. Use them sparingly." He warns. For once I agree with him.

"Sorry..." He mumbles, then he is back to his chipper self. "I've got your figurine!"

Mr. D's sour expression turns to a neutral one. "My figurine." He repeats slowly.

"In my game, Mythomagic! And a holofoil card too! But even though you only have, like, five hundred attack points and everyone thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!" Nico says without stopping. Throughout his whole rant I was nudging his arm to get him to stop but he didn't pay attention. Nico just kept talking and talking... I'm afraid that he's going to end up in a coffin made of vines!

Instead of being angry, Dionysus looks confused. "Ah, that's gratifying." Mr. D says.

Chiron takes the opportunity to save Nico from digging himself into a deeper hole. He turns towards Percy. "Percy, you and Thalia go down to the cabins and inform the campers we will be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag? I'm not sure we have enough-" Percy starts but Chiron interrupts him.

Chiron shakes his head. "It is just a tradition. Every time the hunters visit we play a friendly game of capture the flag."

Nico turns to Mr. D and takes the open chair. I want to leave with Thalia and Percy but I feel like I should stay with Nico to make sure Mr. D doesn't kill him.

"Even though you don't have a lot of attack points you have a ton of defense points. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades have the most total points in the game, though." Nico explains. There is a loud rumble of thunder that shakes the Big House. The picture frames rattle on the walls and several things fall off of the shelf.

Mr. D and I glare at Nico who is staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes. "What did I tell you? Names are powerful, and you should especially never use those names in the same sentence. Have a little respect." Mr. D growls.

"Why not? Is it because Zeus and Poseidon are sort of enemies with Hades?" Nico asks. There is another rumble of thunder with the same intensity as before. I grab onto a vase of flowers to keep it from toppling off of the table.

Mr. D's eyes light up with power. "Yes! Now if you have any sense in that thick skull of yours you will stop, unless you want to be fried to a crisp in the strawberry fields!" For the first time since he has arrived at the camp, Nico looks sort of scared. Mr. D squeezes the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Aratrina, take this boy out of my sight. I can forget about the pebbles in the lake if you just get him out of here."

I shrug and guide Nico outside. "Don't mind Mr. D. He's like that to everyone." I say.

Nico frowns. "He's not like I thought he would be like."

I raise an eyebrow. "And what did you think he would be like?"

"I don't know. Maybe drinking wine at least."

I hold back a laugh but it comes out as a snort. "He's on probation. No wine for him for a while." Nico joins in to laugh with me at the absurdity of the God of Wine not able to drink any wine.

I lead him towards Cabin 11, better well known as the Hermes cabin. "This is the Hermes cabin. All undetermined halfbloods stay here until their parent claims them. You can talk to Trevor or Conner about getting a bunk."

Nico looks at the cabin in fascination. He runs his hand along the side of the cabin. "Which cabin is yours?"

"Cabin 10. Aphrodite is my mother." I explain.

Nico nods and his cheeks turn a light pink. "Yeah, I see." He says quietly but I hear him.

I choose to ignore his comment and make him think that I didn't hear him in the first place. If I said anything it might embarrass him.

"Hey! You two! Come here!" A camper from Ares shouts over to us. He swings the sword on his hand and he has a smug smile on my face. He's maybe a year older than me and Nico.

We walk over to him. Nico looks at the sword in his hand warily while I admire it for its craftsmanship. I can only imagine how light and swift it is during a fight.

"What's your names?" He asks. The other campers from Ares snicker behind him.

Nico stays silent and kicks the dirt around with a muddy shoe. Since he isn't going to answer him, I am left doing the introductions. "I'm Rina and this is Nico."

His lips curl into a sneer. "A daughter of Aphrodite and a new camper. Let me guess, undetermined?" When there is no answer he nods with a smirk. "Wonderful."

I narrow my eyes at the boy. "What do you want?" I snap as it becomes clear that he didn't invite us over here to make new friends.

He shrugs. "Just want to practice a little. Do you wanna? Hey Nico, I can teach you a few moves if you want. Could be handy when you get to killing some monsters." The boys says all the right things to interest Nico.

Nico looks up at the boy hopefully. Before I could tell him that we aren't interested, Nico nods. The boy points towards the armory with one hand. Nico all but runs there and I follow to make sure he gets a good sword. Nico must not be getting the bad vibe from him like I am.

Nico picks up a sword and begins to rush out towards the clearing but I stop him.

"You can't just pick up any sword. How does it feel?" I ask.

Nico holds it in his hand. He tilts it in his palm. "How is it supposed to feel?"

"Balanced. A good sword feels like an extension of your arm."

Nico shakes his head and picks up another sword. He holds it out in his arm and mutters to himself about whether or not it is balanced. After several more swords, he finds one that feels good enough.

"Nico, watch out for these guys."

He looks at me with innocent eyes. He hasn't even been in this new world for twenty-four hours and he is going into it headfirst. I'm afraid that he's going too fast.

"What do you mean? They're just showing me some moves. I'm going to have to learn how to defend myself sometime."

I shake my head. "I know you should, but you don't have to learn right now. I'm getting a bad feeling about this. Those Ares kids, I think they're going to try to humiliate you."

Nico narrows his eyes dangerously at me. I swear I feel the earth tremble slightly. "What do you know? You don't know anything about me or them, so stay away." He snaps. Nico pushes past me and back towards the Ares kids who are calling out to him. I dash after him and pull out the knife that Ares gave me that I always keep in a hilt on my waist. I feel myself tense as I prepare to defend Nico for when he can't defend himself against the huge Son of Ares.

Nico holds the sword in front of him with strong, steady hands but his form is terrible. Right away I can imagine several ways to disarm him. Based on the smirk on the boy, he sees it too. Nico is making it almost too easy.

"Alright, Nico. Let's just see how good you are first, shall we?" He says loudly. Several of the other Ares kids whistle at him.

The boy swings at Nico who barely blocks it. The sword falls out of his hand on impact. The boy snickers then waits for Nico to pick up his sword before attacking him again. Nico manages to block several of the swings but more often than not he is hit with the blunt side of the sword. I want to intervene but several of the Ares kids are blocking my way.

The boy manages to disarm Nico and push him to the ground. He raises the sword to Nico's exposed back. I push forward but several of the boy's half-siblings are holding to me. In a moment of panic that he will actually stab Nico, I elbow one in the face and knee the other in the groin. I rush forward and block the sword right before it hits Nico's back.

He snarls at me. "Why don't you go back to your makeup. This is our fight."

I swing at him but he blocks my sword, but he doesn't know what more I have coming to him. "You were playing dirty. Didn't daddy ever tell you that there is no pride in striking someone with their back turned?" I growl. It is clear that the part of me that is Ares is coming out, and it is becoming clear to the guy that I'm not the gentle daughter of Aphrodite he originally thought.

I move around him with my sword drawn. He looks at me with a smug expression. He is under the wrong impression that this will be an easy fight. What he doesn't know that I have been trained by the gods to be a warrior and I have a piece of the God of War in me too. In one swift motion I knock his feet from under him so that he is lying on his chest. I place one sharp knee on his back and shrink down my sword to the size of a kitchen knife. I bring it up to his neck.

"Next time you want to practice sword fighting, pick someone close to your skill level." I say into his ear. When he nods I remove my knife from his neck and let him stand up straight. The Ares kids glare at me before leaving the practice area. Luckily for them they don't say another word.

Nico looks at me in amazement. His cheeks are still red from the embarrassment of losing the fight but he is seeing me with a new-found appreciation.

"Thanks, Rina. Those guys are jerks. I just thought they wanted to teach me some moves." He mumbles.

"You're right, they're the biggest jerks." I wrinkle my nose in their direction.

Nico smiles with the same cheerfulness he has had all day. "You're going to have to teach me those moves."

I laugh at his optimism. "Of course, let me show you around the camp more first."

I give Nico a tour of the rest of the camp. All the while he is asking questions. After the first ten minutes I thought I would get annoyed with it but actually it was fun to be able to answer his questions and teach him more about the world we are living in. There is no doubt in my mind that Nico will be able to get along just fine in Camp Halfblood.


	6. Chapter 6

**I would just like to thank everyone who followed or left a kind review. You guys rock! This is longer than the other chapters and I think I might make the rest of the chapters this length. Thank you for taking the time to read this story! I don't own any of the characters in the Percy Jackson series.**

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I frown at my plate of pizza and chicken wings. Even though I have been here for a week, I still can't used to the food. Back on Olympus we would only settle for the highest quality of food from around the world. One day we would have an ancient Chinese delicacy popular during the Shang Dynasty, the next a brick-oven baked pizza straight from Italy. Never any of this 'just-make-food-appear-that-doesn't-taste-as-good-as-the-real-deal' junk. If you ask me, it's kind of insulting. Couldn't the camp just hire several cooks to cook a decent meal?

To top off this horrible dinner: I'm all alone. Like every dinner. The Aphrodite table is so empty. Chiron told me that Silena Beauregard, the cabin leader of Cabin 10, arrived yesterday but I still haven't met her. Several other campers says that she likes to hang in the stables, so maybe she was riding a Pegasus the whole time so I never ran into her. And since we are already half-way through the dinner, I won't be meeting her anytime soon.

Even though I have no idea who she is or what kind of person she is, I just want her here now so I won't feel so alone. It doesn't help that the Hunters are having the time of their lives at Artemis's table. They are laughing, joking, and arm-wrestling while the only company I have is a leaf and the never-ending goblet full of cherry soda.

I take a large sip from the goblet while glaring at the Hunters' table. How dare they be so happy while there are people sitting all alone like Percy, Thalia, and me. I wince as it goes down my throat. I'm beginning to feel like Dionysus: cynical and drinking inadequate refreshments.

Zoe throws back her head in one of her rare laughs. It booms across the dining hall and only makes me slouch further into the bench. She turns her head and makes eye-contact with me. I try to look away but her demanding eyes keep me from moving my head. She lifts up her hand in a motion for me to join them. I shake my head but she keeps insisting. I look over at the table where Chiron is sitting. He's not looking. Now is my chance before he looks back this way.

The Hunters move down the bench so that there is more room for me. I place my plate down next to Zoe who is at the head of the table. The silver band in her hair shimmers in the light, almost like the moon. I believe it's her lieutenant band that shows her rank in the Hunters since none of the others girls have it in their hair.

"What about the camp rules?" I ask. There are rules that states that the children of the gods much sit at their designated tables.

Zoe scoffs. "Who cares about the rules? Chiron isn't saying a word and he is looking straight at you."

I look behind me at the long table in the front of the dining area. Chiron is looking at me. His lips are in a straight, stern line but he doesn't say a word. The centaur stares me straight in the eye as if to tell me to watch myself around them. He must not be a huge fan of the Hunters either.

"Should we invite Thalia and Percy over here too? They're all alone at their tables." I turn around to look at the two. Thalia is glaring at the table while Percy looks at it questionably. It takes me several moments to realize that he is looking between Bianca and Nico. Occasionally I would see Nico look over at Bianca, but he would turn quickly away as if he wasn't looking at her in the first place. But Bianca is the opposite. It's as if she doesn't even remember her brother. She hasn't looked in his direction once since the meal started. Bianca is having too much fun trying to arm-wrestle a much bigger and stronger Hunter.

Zoe shakes her head. "Thalia, maybe but Percy... never. It would be indecent to have a male at Lady Artemis's table. Don't you agree?" Several Hunters murmur in agreement. Zoe and the others looks so dead set on never inviting Percy to our table that I don't bother arguing.

Phoebe slams Bianca's arm on the table again. It makes our glasses shake and some pop is spilled.

"Do you remember a lot of us?" Zoe asks out of the blue. Her eyes twinkle with curiosity.

I look at the huntress with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

Her lips curve into a small smile. "Most of the Hunters were here when you joined us on the hunt for a month. Several others have joined since then but they have heard stories of you. Not many remembered you at first but when I mentioned you scaring off a grizzly bear with nothing but a rock they all suddenly remembered."

I laugh at the memory. "That was one of the stupidest things I have ever done. I got mauled!"

Zoe shakes her head and the faint evidence of a smile is on her lips. "No, it was a very brave thing to do. It would've gotten into our food stash without you or possibly injured our fellow hunters. Plus, you healed in a matter of minutes so it's not as bad as you think it was."

"It hurt!" I exclaim. "A lot, too!"

Zoe points towards her head. "Pain is all up here. If I had the healing capacity that you do I would be throwing myself between my fellow Hunters and bears every day. There would be no hesitation. You should appreciate your gift."

"You say that now but when you actually feel the pain it's a whole other story." I scoff at her.

"Like I said, pain is all in the head." Zoe replies coolly. "You just have to find a way to block it out."

Isabella, one of the hunters listening in to our conversation speaks up. "Rina, remember the time when you had a buck not even ten yards in front of you and you completely missed it and almost took out poor Phoebe! The look on her face when the arrow goes an inch away from her nose!" The rest of the Hunters who were there at the time howl in laughter while Bianca and several of the newer Hunters have no clue what's going on.

I chuckle along with them. "I guess it's a good thing that I'm not a Daughter of Apollo!" The laughter gets even louder if it's even possible. It almost sounds like a stampede of elephants.

"If you were, you would a terrible one if you can't even properly shoot an arrow." Zoe comments.

The laughter dies down and the Hunters go back to their individual conversations. Zoe takes a sip from her goblet. I find myself mimicking her actions without me knowing it. I quickly set the goblet down at the realization.

Chiron stands up from his seat and looks towards us. "I would like to personally welcome the Hunters of Artemis. It is always a pleasure to have you here at Camp Halfblood." There is an applause but it is weak and half-hearted. Nico and Thalia don't bother to clap. "As it is a tradition whenever the Hunters come to Camp Halfblood, there will be a good-will capture the flag tomorrow evening." This time the applause thunders through the dining area like Zeus is here himself. I can't hear what else Chiron is saying over the excited murmurs of the Hunters and campers but I'm sure it's about the breakup of chores next week. I can always ask Charles later what I have to do.

After dinner we go back to our cabins. A girl who looks exactly like Aphrodite, before her last make-over, is drying off her hair before bed. Her mouth grows into a smile when she sees me enter. She sticks her hand out towards me and I take it. "I'm Silena, you must be Rina."

I nod. "It's nice to meet you."

She smiles. Her teeth are perfectly white and straight. Definitely a Daughter of Aphrodite like me. "It must've been nice to have the entire cabin to yourself for a while."

"It was lonely. I'm happy now I at least have someone to talk to at dinner." Silena laughs.

"Sorry about that. Normally there are several more here but I don't know why they're gone." She bites her lip in deep thought then shrugs. "Oh well, you'll get to meet them during the summer unless they have bad monsters problems like I did."

"Monster problems?"

"Yeah, I went to live with my grandparents on their farm in Iowa. That didn't last long. Ended up burning the shed down and had to take tons of buses to get here. Crazy stuff. You ever have it that bad?" She asks.

I shake my head. "Actually, I really haven't had much of a monster problem." In fact, the only monsters I have ever seen are fake replicas of ones that I would fight in a controlled arena in Olympus, or when Ares would occasionally set them loose in my bedroom. I haven't battled a real monster yet, but I hope they are like the simulations.

"Lucky you. Well, might as well call lights out so that we can get a good nights sleep to pulverize those Hunters at capture the flag." She says with a gleam in her eye. Silena turns off the lights and in a matter of minutes she is asleep.

That night I stay awake with thoughts swirling in my head. Sitting with the Hunters today reminded me of why I liked them so much. They're like a family and they have no worries. It also reminded me why I refused to take the oath. It's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. The fun will only last so long until shooting arrows at deers becomes boring. The jokes will stop being funny after the tenth time someone tells them. The life of the Hunters is surprisingly mundane.

* * *

"Which side are you going to be on?" Thalia glares at me. She places two hands on her hips and taps her foot impatiently. Percy, however, just looks uncomfortable with this whole conversation. He gives me a small grin that shows that this whole confrontation wasn't his idea and to apologize for Thalia's behavior.

I narrow my eyes. "I'm going to be on the camp's side." I reply.

"Good, because for a minute I thought you were joining your buddies, the Hunters."

"Why would I be? I'm a camper so I will be on the camp's side!" I snap. Zeus's daughter or not, if she keeps treating me this way she is going to get punched in the nose. That might get me struck by a bolt of lightning, but it would be worth it if it got her to be quiet.

She raises an eyebrow. "Really? It's just you been so close to them I thought you were joining or something."

I look over at Zoe and the other hunters. They look sad for some reason but ready to play capture the flag. The look on their faces says it all. They're going to kick Camp Halfblood's butt. I shift my gaze back to Thalia.

"Just because I happen to be on good terms with them doesn't mean I'm on their side." I say. I clench my fists to keep myself from beating her up right her and now. I could do it too. She is unprepared, she would never know what hit her, which would be my fist. Even though she is several years older than me, that doesn't mean that I can't beat her to a pulp.

Thalia scoffs at me. "You know what, forget it. Just help Nico suit up. Gods know he needs it." She glances over at Nico who is trying on a breastplate way too big for him. He reaches behind his to strap it on but his hands can't reach.

Before I can respond, Thalia walks away from me. She stands in a section far away from everyone else to talk strategy with her co-captain, Percy. She keeps talking and talking. Every time Percy opens his mouth, she interrupts. So much for being co-captains.

I rush over and help Nico before he falls over. I get him to take off the breastplate and hand him one that should be a better fit. He smiles at me appreciatively when I'm done. Nico grabs a sword and puts it in a sheath.

"Do you remember everything I taught you today?" I ask. On the table there is a bronze helmet that looks like it might fit Nico. I pick it up and place it on his head. Just a couple of sizes too big.

Nico nods and the helmet almost falls off his head when he does. "Wait for your opponent to attack first then adjust to their movements. Don't back away, keep stepping forward. Always watch your opponent while watching your back at the same time." He brings his eyebrows together as he tries to remember all the pieces of advice I threw at him. Earlier today I showed him some basic moves with a sword so he won't be completely helpless during the game. I just hope that will be enough.

I grab a breastplate closest to my size. It's too big and slides down but at least it's something. I grab a helmet similar to Nico's and place it on my head. It doesn't help being small because none of the camp armor fits perfectly! Maybe I can ask Hephaestus to make me some armor if he doesn't mind. But due to his relationship with my mother, I will have to beg big time for that to happen.

"Just be careful. Don't mess around with the Hunters too much." I say while looking at the Hunters. Zoe manages to force a slight smile on her face when she sees me looking at them but it doesn't reach her eyes. Something is definitely wrong.

"You sound like Bianca." Nico mutters under his breath.

"Nico, I will be right back" I say absently. I'm so preoccupied with the Hunters that I don't respond to what he said. Nico nods and walks to Percy's side, probably to ask more questions.

I run as fast as I can in armor towards the hunters. Several smile when they see me but all the smiles quickly fall to frowns. One of the Hunters starts sniffling and wiping her eyes. When a camper asks her what's wrong, she says it's her allergies then pushes the camper over for being 'rude'. They roll around like a turtle that got flipped on their back since their armor is too heavy for them to get up on their own.

"Rina, are you joining us for capture the flag?" Bianca asks. She bounces up and down in excitement. On her back is a bow that looks too big for her tiny body. I sincerely doubt she is strong enough to pull back the string.

I shake my head and turn towards Zoe. "Something's wrong, isn't there?"

Zoe nods. She opens her mouth then closes it in a moment of hesitation. Zoe clears her throat then sets a brave face. "I had a nightmare last night. Artemis is lost." Several of the Hunters let out small sobs at the mention of their goddess.

"How can a goddess be lost?" I exclaim.

Chiron starts to explain the rules and Zoe ushers me away. "Go join your team. We can discuss this later. Now we must play the game."

I don't argue since I see my team already running into the forest. I dash after them but it's a difficult task when you have pounds upon pounds of armor on you while trying to not get slapped in the face with tree branches.

Percy trips over a shield and goes from being one of the first in the group to the last along with me. He grumbles several curse words under his breath and jogs beside me.

"Aren't you the co-captain?" I ask. My voice shakes from running over the rough terrain. I duck to avoid a huge branch that almost smacks Percy in the face.

He nods. "Yeah, I am." Percy frowns. He almost gets hit in the face by Charles's spear which makes him frown even more.

"Then why aren't you in the front of the group with Thalia?"

Percy's frown turns to a scowl, one almost as bad as Mr. D's. "I should be."

I glance down at him ankles. They look red from the fall. "Are your ankles okay?"

Percy's cheeks light up with a faint blush. "You saw me fall, didn't you?"

I nod and he groans. "I don't think anyone else saw, though." I say to try to make him feel better.

"Nope, everyone saw!" Travis yells back to us. Percy ducks down his head and pays attention to the ground as we run to the spot where we are going to put our flag.

* * *

We set our flag upon Zeus's Fist, which is just a pile of rocks that apparently looks like a large fist at the perfect angle. From the top of the hill you can see a lot of the surrounding woods. I have to give it to Thalia, she picked a very good spot for the flag. It is high enough to see the surrounding woods and easier to defend. We also have the upper hand up it being uphill.

Thalia points at me and several other people to come with her to capture the other team's flag. I'm surprised until she said something about seeing me earlier with a sword and wanting someone 'skilled and has a level-head' by her side. She may be mean to me, but at least she is a strategist, and that I can respect.

Nico comes by my side. His position is to go around the border. Easy enough but Nico seems to be a nervous wreck. I don't blame him since this is a very competitive game. "What if they hit me with an arrow?" Nico asks, his eyes are wide with anticipation or fear. I can never tell with him. Possibly both.

I shrug. "Then you get hit by an arrow. They won't kill you, though. It'll be fun" I say the last part as enthusiastically as I possibly can. It must've worked because Nico looks pumped and ready to fight. What I said calmed his nerves.

Thalia continues to take charge of the team while Percy stands on the side. I see him occasionally open his mouth to say something but Thalia is still talking. I thought they were supposed to co-captain but it seems as if Thalia has turned this into a dictatorship.

Thalia looks over at Percy for the first time since we started the game. "Anything to add, Percy?"

He looks surprised that Thalia would ask him that but he quickly recovers. "Sure. Keep sharp on defense and don't let them through. We've only got a couple of guards and scouts in a big forest. Just yell if you need help."

"And don't leave your post." Thalia adds.

"Unless you see a really good opportunity." Percy adds to that quickly.

Thalia glares at the Son of Poseidon. "Just don't leave your post." She says sternly. The ends of her hair lets off several small sparks of irritation.

They say several quiet things to each other then Percy gets electrocuted by the Daughter of Zeus. He rubs the spot on his arm where Thalia touched him. She mumbles several more words to him before looking back at the rest of the team. "Now, is everyone clear?" She asks. We all nod, not wanting to feel even a small fraction of her wrath like Percy did.

Suddenly the horn that starts the game echoes throughout the woods. The game has officially begun. Thalia leads me and several other campers that I don't know towards the east woods, where we know the flag will be. There isn't much of a plan except for looking around the woods in the most strategic spots where the Hunters would put their flag.

I pull out my knife and grow it to the size of a normal sword. I stay near the ground and roll my feet to be as quiet as possible. The other campers, however, are walking straight up and allowing their armor to clang everywhere. Even if the Hunters were deaf they would still hear us coming.

"Guys!" I hiss. "They're going to hear us a mile away if you all keep walking like that."

They glance towards me and see how silently I am walking. Some scowl at me but they all mimic my movements without much protest in the end. Luckily for us we are much quieter now. There is less of a chance of the Hunters finding us before we get to the flag.

Up ahead we see a silver flag blowing in the wind. There is only one guard and it's Bianca di Angelo. She holds out her bow with an arrow ready to be shot, but her small arms look too thin to pull it back. She's practically defenseless.

I hear a twig snap. I turn my head quickly to see nothing but a tree.

"Like stealing candy from a baby." Thalia whispers. We hold up our weapons and prepare to charge upon the poor demigod, that is before Percy runs through the clearing. He pushes over Bianca and grabs the flag. Then, like a mad man, he runs away. Bianca sits up, still in shock from being run down by Percy, and yells for help at the top of her lungs. He is just about out of the clearing when he trips over some sort of wire. That was when all the Hunters came down on us.

"Percy! What are you doing?" I yell in frustration. The thrill of the fight is filling every single one of my veins as the Hunters raise their arrows towards us.

Since one of the rules of capture the flag is no intentional maiming, the Hunters aim for our feet and hands. One of the arrows hits my foot but I pull it out. The blood stops flowing quickly and leaves an almost glittery look on my shoe and the tip of the arrow. I raise my sword just in time to stop a hunter about to stab me with a dagger. I side step and she stumbles in surprise that I dodged her blade with barely any effort. I elbow her on the back and she falls straight into the snow. I pick up her knife and throw it deep into the woods. The Hunter curses and struggles to get back up.

I begin to rush towards the place where Percy fell and Thalia has the same idea as I do. She almost reaches him when an arrow lands at her feet. A cloud of yellow smoke explodes. The stench it gives off is so revolting that I gag. I have to kneel over so that I don't puke all over myself. The rest of my teammates and I rush away from the smoke, coughing. There is no way any of us will be able to stand being near the smell.

Up ahead by the creek I see Zoe rushing towards Percy with our flag in her hand and a smug smile on her face. Right before Percy makes it over the creek to our side, Zoe jumps across and knocks him over. The Hunters cheer at their victory. Some high-five each other.

Chiron appears out of the woods. The dark shadows of the woods makes him seem very grim. On his back are the Stoll brothers who look like they have really been beaten up by the hunters. They showed absolutely no mercy. There are arrows sticking out of their helmets and their legs are bent in odd angles.

"The Hunters win." Chiron yells. The Hunters let out shrieks of happiness. "For the fifty-sixth time in a row." He mutters under his breath.

Thalia storms towards Percy. She is so angry that blue sparks are coming from her armor. I instinctively back away from her. My hair sticks up slightly just being in such close range with her.

"What in the name of the gods were you thinking back there? Are you insane?" She yells. The sparks coming off her armor become bigger and bigger.

Percy shakes the flag in his hand at her face. His face becomes red with anger. "I had the flag, Thalia! I saw a chance and I took it!" The creek behind him flows faster and the small trickle turn into small waves that are getting bigger by the second. If someone doesn't do something then there will be a full on fight between the two campers.

"I was at the base! But, oh! The flag was gone! If you hadn't butted in we would've won!" She shrieks. Her fists are clenched so hard that I think she's going to hurt herself.

"There were too many Hunters on you guys!"

Thalia stares at him in disbelief. "So it's my fault then?"

Percy shakes his head with abrupt, shaky movements. "I didn't say that!"

Thalia lets out a growl and pushes Percy. A shock of electricity goes through her hands and blows Percy ten feet into the creek. A couple of the Hunters try to hide their laughter while the campers look on in shock. Even Chiron is shocked to silence. I make my way past the group to try to stop them from killing each other.

Thalia turns unusually pale. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

A large wave comes from the creek and drenches Thalia. She wipes her wet hair out of her face.

"I didn't mean to either." Percy sneers.

Thalia rushes towards Percy with her sword drawn. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?" I rush over to her and push her back. She keeps walking as if I'm not even there but I manage to slow her down.

Percy narrows his eyes. "Bring it, Pinecone Face." I reach my hand out to hold Percy away from Thalia. I manage to keep them apart but they continue to glare at each other. If looks could kill then both of them would be dead on the ground.

The smell of burnt flesh fills the air as Thalia's armor gets hotter and hotter. Blue sparks are flying from it again and are burning my skin. I grit my teeth to keep myself from crying out in pain. It is clear to me that the entire palm of my hand is seared off and maybe my eyebrows from the amount of heat coming from her armor. I swear that there is a current of electricity flowing through me.

"That's enough, you two!" Chiron yells but it does nothing to keep the two from trying to get at each other.

There is a loud blast and I feel myself being thrown back. Percy lands in the creek while I land on the hard ground. I stand up to see burns all over my arms and hands but they are quickly healing. If it was anyone else, they would need serious medical attention. Luckily for me nobody notices because they are too concerned with the two powerful demigods starting a full-blown fight so I don't have to answer any questions about why I am still alive.

The creek gathers behind Percy into a large orb of water. He raises it above his head but stops. The water drops back into the creek with a loud splash. He looks deep into the forest. Thalia stops glaring at him and turns around to see what he's looking at. Something odd is approaching. It is surrounded by a green mist that licks the trees and grass as it passes by. The Hunters and campers both gasp at the sight when it becomes close enough to see. It's the oracle.

The withered mummy walks to the center of the group. It has a gruesome smirk on its face, but maybe that's just the expression it always has. It's voice slithers into my mind, and based on everyone's expressions, they can hear it too.

"_I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty python._" It turns towards Zoe with a dead expression in its eyes. "_Approach and ask what you desire._"

Zoe swallows and for the first time in my life I have seen her actually nervous. "What must I do to help my goddess, Lady Artemis?"

Its mouth opens with a sickening sound. A green mist pours out and forms an image of a mountain with a girl standing on the top. Artemis is wrapped in chains and looks in great pain. I feel a sharp jab go through me. It's almost as if her pain is also my pain. Seeing the person who took care of me many times during my childhood being tortured like this is almost as though someone is stabbing me in the gut.

_"Five will go west to the goddess in chains, One shall be lost in the land without rain, The bane of Olympus shows the trail, Campers and Hunters combined prevail, The Titan's Curse must one withstand, And one shall parish by a Parent's hand_" The oracle says mysteriously.

It snaps its mouth shut and the mist recedes back. It then shuffles to a rock and sits down, still. The camp falls silent. For the first time, the oracle has left the attic to give someone a life-changing prophecy.

This is a very big deal.


	7. Chapter 7

There is a sharp knock at the door. I bolt up in bed and immediately grab my knife. Even in Olympus I have learned to always be on guard since Ares found it amusing to test my fighting skills in the middle of the night. Being attacked in the middle of the night by a monster can make anyone cautious of anything that makes the slightest noise when it is dark outside. Silena groans and turns towards her side. She covers her head with her blanket.

"Can you get that?" She mumbles.

There is another knock on the door. Silena lets out another groan of annoyance. I get up slowly. I know this is Camp Halfblood but I can't help remembering all those nights where Ares would set loose a fake hellhound into my room. He always said that if I'm going to be related to him I will be one of the best warriors out there, and somehow the training involves letting monsters almost kill me.

Paranoia sets in an my hands start to clam up. I raise my knife so that I will be able to defend myself from whatever is on the other side of the door. Out of my control, my heartbeat races as fast as a car. The knife wavers slightly in my hand but I quickly control the shake with a firm handhold. I adjust my grip on the knife. Underneath my palm I feel the metal shift to adjust to my new grip.

My fingers curve around the cold metal of the door. I hesitate on opening the door. Who knows what's behind the door? It could be something harmless like Chiron or potentially dangerous like the harpies choosing to fetch a meal for themselves instead of waiting for a camper to escape their cabin.

All the potential monsters that could be behind the door to eat Silena and me run through my head. Determination to not be killed flows through my veins. I fling the door open and bring my knife to my attacker's throat. It isn't until the blade rests right on his Adam's apple that I realize it is the god Hermes at the cabin door.

He let out a whistle of surprise. "I guess Ares's lessons really stuck to you. We always told him that waking you up via hellhound was just going to make you a paranoid mess."

I pull my knife away from him and my cheeks light up like red Christmas lights. I tilt my head in respect. "Lord Hermes, I didn't know it was you. I'm so sorry."

He waves his hand at me. "That's fine, Rina. Just brought you some mail from the cloud in the sky." He chuckles at his own joke. Hermes walks past me into the cabin to put several envelopes on my bedside table. He then sits on my bed without asking permission.

Silena sits upright, her hair sticking out everywhere. Her eyes widen when she sees Hermes on my bed. She uses her hands to flatten down her hair so that she looks somewhat presentable. "Lord Hermes!" She exclaims in surprise. Silena bows as much as she can since she is still under the covers in her own bed.

Hermes nods to her in acknowledgment. He turns towards me with a somber look. "Athena is very displeased with you when she found out you haven't been keeping up with your studies." His eyes travel towards a letter in a silver envelope with an 'A' on the front.

I groan. "Please tell me that's not one of her lectures in letter form."

He nods. "I'm afraid it is. Believe me, she would've come down here herself to lecture you if Apollo didn't step in."

"Tell him I said thank you."

Hermes chuckles to himself. "You might be able to tell him yourself." He winks. I'm about to ask him what he means when Hermes's phone rings. He looks at the caller ID and scowls. "George, Martha, I told you not to let her call me again until she pays off the fees from the last package I shipped!" He snaps to the phone in his pocket.

A quiet voice comes out from the phone. "Sssorry but it seems urgent. She already left ssseveral messssages. Oh! Assssk Rina if she has any ratsss. I love ratssss."

Hermes scowls at his pocket, looking like he will burn a hole right through the fabric and right through George and Martha, two snakes on the antennae of the phone. Despite them being snakes, Hermes treats them more as secretaries than pets. "No, I will not ask her that!" He snaps. Hermes turns towards me with an exhausted look on his face. "Sorry, Rina. I might as well see what she wants. I'm sure I will see you sometime."

"Goodbye Lord Hermes. I hope you don't have many deliveries today."

Hermes smiles at me. "You always were a sweet child." With that he disappears; it's as if he never was here in the first place. The only evidence of his visit are the letters on my bedside table and the flustered Silena.

Silena stares at me with wide eyes. "I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but why on earth did Lord Hermes come to visit you?" She asks. Any sign of her being tired washed away when her eyes landed on the god.

I hold up the letters. "To deliver some mail."

She lets out a unladylike snort. "Must be some pretty special mail then for Lord Hermes to deliver the letters personally." Silena lays back down in her bed and within moments she is back to sleep.

I reach into my chest to grab a flashlight. While being aware that I'm not the only one in the room, I take my letters under a blanket along with the flashlight Apollo gave me as going-away present.

I make sure it's on the lowest setting before turning it on, remembering his warning about it being able to blind someone. Even on its dimmest setting it is very bright. The light wiggles around in the canister. Sunlight is very difficult to contain, it is too energetic. Apollo must've gone through a lot of trouble getting this.

My guts are telling me to not to look at Athena's letter because it will just be a long lecture, but I could care less if she was calling me the worst person in the world as long as I can have some sort of connection with the goddess. This past week has reminded me how much I actually enjoyed our study sessions and how she would be so harsh on me. Back then I thought she was overbearing, but now I see her in a new, appreciative light. She only wanted what was best for me.

I curl my fingers around the silver envelope. It smells like home. I open the envelope and take out the letter. The paper is such high quality that it can only be from Olympus. Athena has never been one to use computers so the words are hand-written carefully with ink.

_Dear Rina,_

_It distresses me that you haven't been keeping up with your studies. It is very important that you continue learning the information otherwise all the hours of studying we did will go to waste. You must continue to learn and expand your mind. I know that you must be enjoying yourself in camp, but you cannot forget to complete the workbooks! If your lack of motivation for your work regresses anymore, I will be forced to assign work to you and have you send it to me otherwise you will face terrible consequences. I can assure you that it will be equivalent to Zeus himself striking someone down with his master bolt but in a less deadly form._

_Do not underestimate my ability to make sure you are well-educated, Rina._

_I care about you, that's why I want you to succeed in life. You cannot succeed without the proper knowledge. I hope that you take this opportunity to get back on track with your studies._

_I will be paying attention._

_-A_

I shudder at the last sentence. It makes me think if the other gods are watching my every move, examining my ever decision. I thought it would be comforting to know that someone is looking out of me, but it's the opposite. It feels as if they are intruding in my life. As if they just walked into my house, sat at my kitchen table, and watched me eat dinner without ever asking me if they could come inside. It is just a creepy feeling, like spiders are crawling all over me.

There is another envelope; this one is a bright yellow and glitters in the light. I open it to see a letter from Apollo, though I can guess that it is from him without seeing his name on the bottom of the letter from the extravagant envelope.

_Rina!_

_I have never been one for letters but this is the only way I can contact you, so I'll take it! Athena is mad at you, and I'm sure you know why so I don't need to lecture her like I know she will. I will say this, though, she has a point. You need to educate yourself. (Don't tell her that, though. You know that she will never let me forget)_

_Aphrodite still refuses to take away that promise of the 'most beautiful, undying love that will make even the iciest heart melt to a puddle'. Your mother's words not mine. I'll continue to try to talk her out of it but her mind is dead set, so you may have a fantastic love-story to look forward to._

_It's been lonely here without you. I didn't realize how much of my time you took up until you left. It's so boring without you. Honestly I would even settle to go back to the times where I had to change your diaper if it meant getting you back up here._

_I'm sure that we will meet again soon. Maybe when I come and visit my kids I will visit you too. How does that sound?_

_-Apollo_

It isn't the same as seeing him face to face, but if a letter is as good as it will get then I'm happy that I have letters from two of my favorite gods that I consider family. Of course I consider all the gods family, but Apollo and Athena are like my parents. And that will never change, no matter how much makeup Aphrodite forces onto me. The last in the pile of letters is a blue that looks like the ocean was compacted into a single envelope. It smells like sea salt and almost feels damp in my hands. It's definitely the most unusual of the three envelopes.

I open it and it feels as if a blast of ocean spray hits my face. The letter inside the envelope disappoints me. Poseidon doesn't ask how I'm doing, or at least say hello. There is only a single sentence:

_Tomorrow night let Blackjack, the Pegasus, out of his stall._

_-P_

Poseidon is using me. Those words echo inside my brain and rattle around in my skull. He's using me like the gods always used the heroes of Camp Halfblood. I guess it was silly of me to think that he would want to see if I was doing fine and if I settled in alright. I never was close to Poseidon like I was to Athena and Apollo so I can't expect him to be worried about my well-being like they are.

The letter leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I know I shouldn't take it personally because this is what gods do, but unfortunately I do. As much as I want to rip up the later and say 'screw him', I know I shouldn't refuse a request by a god or else the next time I go swimming I could be sucked down by a current or eaten by a Giant Squid. Do Giant Squids eat people? Probably not but Poseidon could most likely make one eat me if he really wanted to.

I turn off the light and set the envelopes in the chest by my bed. I look out the window. It's pitch black; still the middle of the night. There is nothing left to do but go back to sleep.

* * *

I raise an eyebrow at Nico who is running across the volleyball field and to my spot at the armory. My hands move around a rag to shine a breastplate, but someone left it out in the rain so it has rusted. If I ever find out who it is, they will a good smack to the face. With my sword. I move my eyes from the boy running towards me and back to the irritating piece of metal. Even when I push down as hard as I can, I can't seem to make this piece of armor shine.

Nico gasps for breath. He leans against the wall and takes in deep mouthfuls of air. When he has caught his breath, he speaks to me with a breathy voice. "They... are... deciding... what to do about the... prophecy in the Big House." He gasps. Nico leans over and places his hands on his knees.

I throw the infuriating piece of armor to the side with a clang, adding even more dents to it. "Right now?"

Nico nods. "Right now!"

I grab Nico's hand and drag him behind me as we dashed towards the large building. Even if we weren't invited to the meeting, we will eavesdrop. Maybe I can help them in some way. With my connections to the gods I can probably help more than they think.

By the time we reach the side of the Big House, Nico looks like he's about to die and I feel like I can run another five miles. Nico leans up against the building.

"Did we have to run?" He asks between deep breaths.

I roll my eyes. "We don't want to miss anything." I start towards the door but Nico holds me back.

"Only cabin leaders are allowed."

I swear several greek profanities under my breath. I'm just about to give up when I see an open window. Very convenient. We walk under it, and if we hold our breaths, we can hear the conversation going on inside of the room. I sit on my knees so that I can peer over the ledge into the room.

They are surrounding a ping-pong table covered with snacks. Mr. D is engrossed in a wine magazine while the others talk. Grover stuffs cheese whiz and ping-pong balls into his mouth. Everyone else keeps away from the snacks.

"There is no time to talk!" Zoe exclaims. She balls her hands into a righteous fist. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asks.

There is a long moment of silence. Bianca perks up from a sudden realization. "West!" She jumps up in her seat. Her hair comes slightly out of its braid. In the past few days she has looked more and more like the Hunters. Now she looks as if she has belonged to them the whole time. Her skin has a soft glow to it and I swear her arms are more muscular. "You all heard the prophecy too. _Five shall go West to the goddess in chains_."

Zoe gazes proudly at Bianca. "We shall take five Hunters then go right away. We must find and free Lady Artemis at whatever cost it takes!"

Thalia glares at the huntress. "You're forgetting something, as usual. _Campers and Hunter combined shall prevail_. Obviously we have to work together. We have to follow the prophecy." Thalia reminds her.

"No! The Hunters do not need thy help!" Zoe snaps. Her eyes shine with a ferocity that would make the gods afraid but Thalia doesn't back down.

"Your!" Thalia says while gritting her teeth. "Nobody has said 'thy' in three hundred years."

Zoe forms her mouth to correctly say your. She hesitates for several seconds then makes a sound that sounds more like yer than your. "Yerrrrr. We do not need yerr help. Yerrr? Yerrr help. Yerrr..."

Thalia scoffs at her. "Forget it."

Chiron looks between the two. "I fear the prophecy states the Hunters do in fact need help from the campers. Campers and Hunters have to cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D says. He takes a diet coke up to his nose and smells it like someone would smell a fine wine. He winces but sips from the can anyways. "_One shall be lost, one shall perish. _That sounds rather... nasty, right? What if you fail because you cooperate?" He muses. Zoe nods in determination but the cabin leaders don't look convinced.

Chiron sighs. "Mr. D, which side are you on?"

Mr. D shrugs and raises one eyebrow at the Centaur. "Sorry, just being helpful." I have to keep myself from laughing at the thought of Mr. D being helpful but it wouldn't go over to well with everyone if they found Nico and me eavesdropping through the window.

Thalia stares at Zoe with determined eyes. "We're supposed to work together. I don't like it either, but you know prophecies. You want to see what happens when you fight against one?"

Zoe grimaces and looks uncomfortable in her seat. The corners of Thalia's mouth lift into a small smirk at her silent victory.

"We cannot delay." Chiron warns. He looks around the room at each person. "Today is Sunday. On Friday is the Winter Solstice."

I suck in a breath. This is much more serious than I originally thought. Without Artemis at the meeting, the gods will decide on nothing and a year where we could be preparing against Kronos will be lost. Without Artemis, things with Kronos and Luke could become even worse than they already are.

Zoe speaks to the group, and it seems she has the same idea as me. "Artemis has to be present in Olympus for the Solstice. She has been the most vocal arguing about taking action against Kronos and his minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing and a year of war preparation would be wasted."

Dionysus looks at the Huntress curiously. "Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together?" He asks.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D nods in approval. "Alright, just checking. And they do, by the way. Carry on."

Chiron's face morphs into a worried expression. "I have to agree with Zoe. Her presence on the council is very crucial. There is only a week to find her. And quite possibly more important: finding the monster she was hunting. Now we must decide who will go on this quest."

"Three and two." Percy says. Everyone turns to look towards the demigod. His cheeks turn a light pink from the sudden attention. "We're supposed to have five. Three Hunters, two campers. That's more than fair."

Thalia nods in approval. "That does make sense." Silena, Charles, and the Stoll brothers also seem to approve of the idea.

Zoe grunts in approval but she doesn't look completely satisfied. "I would prefer to take five Hunters. We need strength in numbers." She mumbles bitterly.

"You will be retracing the goddess's path. Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. The five who are going with have to do the same. The prophecy was very clear: _The bane of Olympus shows the trail_." Chiron says.

"Still would be best with five Hunters." Zoe persists.

Chiron shakes his head. "What would Lady Artemis say? Too many Hunters spoil the scent. We both know that a small group is best."

Zoe opens her mouth to disagree but closes it quickly. She picks up a ping-pong paddle and glares at all the campers, she swings it back and forth in her hands. "I have hunted by Lady Artemis's side for many years yet I have no idea what this monster could be. I'm not even sure that I have ever seen this creature in my entire life. Whatever it is, it is a powerful and dangerous monster."

Everyone stays silent, even Dionysus, but maybe that's because he's too interested in his wine magazine and less concerned about the possible threat of a dangerous creature.

Percy looks up at the Centaur. "Do you have any idea what it is, Chiron?"

Chiron purses his lips in distaste. "I have several ideas; none of them are remotely good. None of them make any sense, either. Typhon, for instance, is truly the bane of Olympus. Or the seas monster, Keto. But we would all know it if either of them were stirring. They are the size of skyscrapers and Poseidon would've sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be even more elusive and possibly more powerful."

The Stoll brother's exchange a glance. "Sounds like some serious danger you're facing. It seems like at least two out of the five will die." Conner Stoll says. He looks over the other people at the table, as if to decide who will not return.

"_One shall be lost in the land without rain._" Charles repeats a part of the prophecy to himself. "If I were you I would stay out of the desert."

Grover nervously pops a ping-pong ball into his mouth. "_One shall perish by a parent's hand. _Why would someone's parent want to kill them?" He comments. Chiron looks increasingly worried by the second. His father is Kronos. I'm sure that if Kronos was here, he wouldn't have a single moment of hesitation to kill Chiron. Chiron must be thinking the same thing because suddenly he is looking very nervous.

There is a long silence until Chiron's calm, unwavering voice breaks it. "There will be deaths. That we do know." He says slowly.

Silena looks over at Percy. "Percy is right. Two should go from the camp."

Zoe narrows her eyes at the Daughter of Aphrodite. "Oh, I see. You're volunteering, then?"

Silena blushes and clenches her fists. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters! Don't look at me!"

Zoe lets out a dry chuckle. "A Daughter of Aphrodite doesn't wish to be looked at? What would your mother say? Perhaps your sister would like to join us. She has experience with the Hunters and she is very skilled with a sword. Rina would be a valuable asset to the quest."

Silena becomes angrier by the second. She slams her fist on the table. "You stay away from Rina, and everyone from the Aphrodite cabin for that matter!" She starts to get out of her chair but the Stoll brothers hold her back. After several seconds of struggling, Silena sits back down with a huff.

"Both of you stop it." Charles's voice booms. "Let's decide about the Hunters first. Which three of you will go?" He asks Zoe.

Zoe stands up proudly. "I shall go and I will take Phoebe. She is our most skilled tracker." She looks down at Bianca sitting in the chair next to her. "And I would wish for Bianca to join."

Nico's mouth falls slack and he lunges up to the window to get a better look. I hold him back so that they don't accidentally see us.

"Just hold on, Nico." I hiss at him. He mumbles something under his breath then takes his spot by the window again. The scowl on his face reminds me of someone. I know he reminds me of a god, but which one?

Bianca looks at Zoe with a stunned expression. "Me?"

Zoe nods. "Yes, you."

"But... but I'm new! I won't be any help." Bianca argues.

"There is no better way to prove thyself. You will be fine." Zoe says confidently. Bianca doesn't look too sure but relaxes in her seat. I gasp quietly. In the back of my mind I feel a tug that tells me that Bianca won't survive to see the Winter Solstice. I don't know what it is; just a funny feeling. Never before I have felt this way but I'm not about to ignore it. I consider telling Nico about my feeling, but I figure that it will just cause more worrying for his sister.

"And for campers?" Chiron asks. He makes eye contact with several of the demigods at the table.

The satyr springs up from his seat, dropping several ping-pong balls. "Me! I will do anything to help Artemis and the Hunters!" He almost yells enthusiastically.

Zoe wrinkles her nose in disgust and not because of the crumbs and half eaten ping-pong balls that fell off Grover's lap. "I think not. You're not even a demigod." She scoffs at him.

Grover looks down at his lap with a defeated expression. Thalia immediately comes to his aid. "But Grover is a camper. He's got a Satyr's sense and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet?"

He looks up at the half-blood with hopeful eyes. "Absolutely!"

Zoe opens her mouth to disagree but thinks otherwise. I don't blame her. A tracker's song would be very helpful on the trip to find Artemis. She straightens her back. "Very well. What about the second camper?"

"I'll go." Thalia says proudly. She glares around the table to dare anyone to disagree with her.

Percy shakes his head. "Whoa, wait. I want to go too."

The table falls silent. Grover looks over at his friend with a guilty expression. "Oh. I'm sorry, I forgot! Percy has to go! I didn't mean... Percy has to take my place." Grover says finally.

Zoe glares at Percy with such hatred that only Zoe can muster up. "He is a _boy_." She says the sentence with more venom than a poisonous snake. "I refuse to have the Hunters travel with him."

"You traveled here with me." Percy reminds her.

"That was a short-term occurrence and an order from Lady Artemis. I will not go across the country and fight alongside a boy." Zoe replies with the same ferocity as before.

Percy looks at her in disbelief. "What about Grover?"

She shakes her head slightly. "He is a satyr. Technically he is not a boy."

Grover lets out a sound of protest while Percy seems to be getting angrier by the second. "I have to go on this quest!"

"Because of thy friend, Annabeth? The one who fell from the cliff?" Zoe asks calmly.

Percy starts to blush. "No! I mean, that's part of the reason. I just know that I am supposed to go!"

"No." Zoe booms. She takes a deep breath and repeats quieter. "No. I insist on this. I will travel alongside a satyr but not a male hero. I refuse to allow it."

Percy opens his mouth to disagree even more but Chiron interrupts him. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions." He sighs. There is a long moment of silence. "So be it. Thalia and Grover will join Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods be with you."

Chiron concludes the meeting and everyone goes their own ways. Thalia leaves with Bianca and Zoe to make arrangements for their travels. Grover goes finds other satyrs to tell them the news while Percy goes off to his cabin to sulk.

Nico starts to go off after his sister but I hold him back. He pulls his arm away from my grasp. "What are you doing? I have to make my sister stay!"

"We can't say anything! They will know we overheard them!"

"I don't care!" He snaps. "I don't want to lose my sister!" Nico storms after them but I pull him back again, more gently this time.

"Do you think she'll stay just because you tell her to? She's a Hunter now. She can't go against Zoe."

Nico narrows his eyes. "And why not?"

"She's her lieutenant. Disobeying her would be close to disobeying Artemis." I say. Nico stops pulling against me.

He looks up at me. Nico looks like he is close to tears. "I don't want her to die, Rina."

"Maybe I can do something about that." I say after several moments of silence. Nico looks at me with a confused expression. I pull him to the side of the Big House where nobody will see us. "You're going to have to promise never to tell anyone, okay?"

Nico nods. "I promise."

"Swear on the river stinx."

"The river stinx?" Nico furrows his eyebrows.

I sigh. "Swearing on the river stinx is one of the most powerful and serious promises. If you break it, it is said that you would face a fate worse than death." I see the hesitation in Nico's eyes. "I wouldn't be asking you to do this if it wasn't important."

He pauses. "I swear on the river stinx that I will never tell anyone." There is a rumble of quiet thunder that symbolizes the promise he just made.

I close my eyes and picture Bianca's face in my mind. It has been years since I have done anything like this so I won't be perfect.

My face moves to resemble Bianca. A dark brown color runs from my roots to the tips of my hair, still remaining purple where it is has been dyed by the Stoll brothers. Each strand of hair moves to a side braid like Bianca has. I open my eyes to see Nico staring at me with wide eyes.

"So, do I look like her?" I ask.

Nico taps his own nose. "The nose is wrong. Make it more like mine." He says quietly. I nod and my nose shifts to resemble Nico's. He looks at the top of my head. "Bianca doesn't have a huge spot of purple in her hair." He comments.

I look at the ground sheepishly. "I can't change that. Can you get me a hat?"

He takes off running and comes back several minutes later with a Camp Halfblood hat. Most likely from the Stoll brothers who always steal from the camp store. I place it on my head.

"Can the other kids of Aphrodite do that too?" Nico asks.

I shake my head. "No, only me." While I speak I change my voice to get as close to Bianca as I can. It's like tuning a guitar: you have to be patient.

"This is weird." Nico looks at me with wide eyes. He looks like a deer caught in headlights.

I shrug. "I don't like doing this but desperate time calls for desperate measures. I'll do what I can."

"How can you do this, if your siblings can't?"

I shrug. "I just have been able to do this sort of stuff ever since I was born."

Nico moves aside so that I can walk by. I walk towards the direction that Zoe, Bianca and Thalia went. I spot them writing supplies on a list and grabbing them from the medical tent. Ambrosia, gauze, vitamins, you name it. Occasionally I would see Zoe and Thalia glaring at each other, but other than that they are surprisingly getting along.

Bianca says something to Zoe and leaves them. She walks towards the bathroom. I follow her from a distance. When the door closes behind her I place a nearby wood chair under the handle so that she won't interrupt. There is another door out of the bathroom but I'm hoping that she doesn't know about it or at least doesn't see it until after I talk with Zoe.

I walk up to Thalia and Zoe. Thalia smiles when she sees me walk up. "We almost have everything on the list." She says. It's odd for her to be talking to me without her glaring.

"Actually, I have been thinking. I don't want to go on the quest." I tell them.

Thalia opens her mouth in protest. "I know you're nervous but it will be fine."

Zoe raises an eyebrow at me; she taps her foot on the ground. "Why not?"

I shuffle my feet in the dirt. "Because I am unprepared. I need more time to train before I go on any quests."

Zoe shakes her head. "You have trained with Artemis's Hunters. There are no better teachers. You are prepared, my dear Bianca."

"No! I'm not! I refuse to go." I say sternly. Thalia shrugs and continues to gather medical supplies. Once she leaves the tent, Zoe rips off my hat so fast that I have no time to react.

"Aikarina, why did you impersonate Bianca?" Her lips form a straight line. She sounds very disappointed in me.

I sigh and let my hair fall out of the braid and down my back. My face contorts back to the one I was born with and my hair turns to the unnatural purple color. "I don't know. I thought that if you thought she told you that she didn't want to go, then she would be safe at camp. She can't go." I say quietly.

Zoe narrows her eyes. "I'm very disappointed. Years ago you told me that you would never do this sort of... treachery. Did the _boy_ tell you to do this?" Years ago when I was traveling with the Hunters, they asked me about my abilities. They were especially curious about the one where I can change my appearance to look like any person I pleased. I told them that I would rather die than use my ability to make someone think I was another person. I thought that it was absolutely disgusting to change my appearance and act like a completely different person.

"_Nico_ didn't tell me to do anything." I snap. "I did this because I am his friend and Bianca will be one of those who will die during this quest."

Zoe stays silent. "You feel it too." She whispers.

I nod.

"It's like a weight on my mind. From the moment I met her I knew that she would die a Hunter. I can't explain it." Zoe says.

"It's like a nagging feeling in the back of your head."

Zoe nods. "That's exactly how it feels."

"Then you won't let her come with?" I ask hopefully.

Zoe shakes her head. "There is no way to know that she will be one of the two who will perish on this quest. It might not yet be her time. There is no way to know for certain that Bianca will die on this quest."

I look at the huntress in disbelief. "You know that's not true. These feelings don't appear for no reason. Keep her at Camp Halfblood with her brother. She will be safe here!"

"Fighting fate is a useless endeavor. You know that as well as I. If it is her fate to die, then I will not interfere." Zoe says sharply. "This will be the last of this I hear from you. Bianca will go on the quest unless she herself tells me otherwise." Zoe storms out of the tent, leaving me alone with only the medical supplies as company.

Her words bounce around in my head. What if it is Bianca's fate to die on the quest? The real question is can I stand to let her leave knowing that she will not return?


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you everyone who followed, favorited, or left a review for this story! Your support is appreciated! Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the Percy Jackson series. I only own Aikarina and several future characters. **

**There is some Greek in this chapter, but English is my first language and honestly I don't know any Greek. I just stuck it into google translate and hoped for the best. If it's wrong then I would appreciate for someone to tell me so that I can change it!**

* * *

Outside it is still dark. The sun hasn't risen yet and the stars are still out. Silena is sleeping peacefully in her bunk, occasionally letting out a loud snore. All is as it should be, except for me.

I grab my sword from my nightstand and tip toe past her bed. Poseidon's letter is still fresh in my mind. He would expect me to do as I'm told and I don't feel like testing to see how much I can disobey the powerful god.

I open the door slowly and a cool draft blows into the room. Silena tugs on her blankets but doesn't wake up. I let out a sigh of relief then exit the cabin. If she caught me there would be no way she would let me out to the stables alone, and I don't feel like dragging her to the harpy buffet with me.

Immediately when I step on the pathway, there is the shriek of the harpies. It's almost as if they were specifically waiting for the moment I step outside of my cabin. The stables are only a bit away from the cabins. I should be able to get there before the harpies come. They aren't the fastest creatures in the world. On my way back, however, I will have trouble.

I run across the camp, sword still in my hand, until I reach the large wooden door. I fling it open. The horses whinny at me and stick their heads out of their stalls to see the visitor. They smack me with their noses as I walk by, as if to beg me to take them for a ride. I reach one of the stalls that says '_Blackjack'_ in cursive writing. Inside is a black pegasus staring at me with wide, chocolate eyes. He ruffles his wings in excitement and I get an odd feeling that he has been expecting me.

"Hi, Blackjack. My name's Rina." I say as I open the gate to let him out. "I don't know it you can understand me but Lord Poseidon asked me to let you out."

The pegasus lets out a grunt at the god's name. I rub my hand along his head. He's so soft. Blackjack rubs his head along my hand. Suddenly his ears perk up in surprise. Blackjack clops out of his stall and out the open door without looking back. The other horses neigh in jealousy that Blackjack gets to escape his stall.

I walk outside. Blackjack starts flying above the lake in circles. Occasionally he would make an odd noise and there would be bubbles coming from the water. Almost as if he is communicating to something down there. There are a variety of creatures in the lake, but I'm sure he is making a nice conversation with the mermaids.

The harpies let out a loud screech. They are literally right behind me. I swing my sword around to see three harpies staring at me with beady eyes. They ruffle their feathers at my sudden movement.

"Dinner for hungry harpies!" One of the harpies says. It licks its lips in anticipation. Several red feathers fall from its arm and into the grass. It hisses at the fallen feathers. "I hate it when the harpies molt. Feathers fall everywhere!" It is distracted by the feathers and takes its eyes off of me.

I hold my sword out in front of me so that I can swing at the harpies properly if they dare walk any closer to me. The harpy takes its beady glare from the feathers and back to my face. Its eyes scan my body and stop at my legs and arms. "This one is strong. Good meal for harpies!" the harpy screeches in delight. It starts to walk towards me when a second harpy holds it back with a feathery claw.

"No, harpies cannot eat this one. Not the ischyró éna." It croaks but based on its beady glare similar to the other harpies, it wants to eat me as much as the others.

My mind takes several seconds to catch up with the shift in languages. Ischyró éna (_A/N spelt as ισχυρό ένα in Greek_) means powerful one. "What are you talking about?" I ask. They take a step forward and they are greeted by the slash of my sword. They let out a squawk but don't come any closer.

The first harpy continues to stare at me as if I am a meal. "But she smells so good. Better than the rest of the half-bloods! Harpy wants to eat her!" It snarls.

"The harpies cannot eat this one!" The third harpy that has remained silent until now growls. Its voice echoes across the empty camp, most likely waking up several campers.

There is a breeze from the flap of wings above me. A second later a dark black mass falls down from the sky between me and the harpies. They let out a scream of surprise and try to escape from the pegasus.

"What are you doing?" I ask in disbelief.

Blackjack whinnies at me but since I cannot speak pegasus, I didn't understand what he is trying to tell me. I assume to tell me to get on but for all I know he could be demanding me to carry him around. Despite the language barrier, its eyes seem to scream at me that it's very important. It's not my place to question him so I get on his back.

Blackjack trots over to Cabin 3, also known as the cabin for children of Poseidon. With me still on its back, Blackjack walks to the porch and hits the door with its leg. There is no answer. He hits the door again and Percy swings the door open with his sword in his hand. He nearly stabs the poor pegasus. Blackjack rears up and I hold on to his neck for dear life. When he lands on all fours again, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

Percy stares at Blackjack and the Pegasus stares back. There is an unspoken communication between the two.

Percy sighs. "Blackjack, it's the middle of the night." He looks around Blackjack's head to see me on his back. "Rina? What are you doing here?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Blackjack wanted me here. Maybe he can tell you."

Percy turns towards Blackjack for some proper answers. He groans after several moments. "How many times have I told you that you don't have to call me boss?"

There is several more moment of silence. I shift awkwardly on the Pegasus's back. Honestly this is the most boring conversation I have ever heard since I can only hear one side. It would be nice if Percy at least repeat back what Blackjack says.

"Shouldn't you be in the stables? And shouldn't Rina be back in her cabin? You can't make campers ride on your back to wherever you want them to go." Percy says with an irritated expression on his face.

If a horse can scowl, then Blackjack is doing exactly that. Percy tilts his head thoughtfully. "Well… no I guess not."

Percy sighs in annoyance. "Again? What about Rina?"

The pegasus looks back at me thoughtfully while Percy looks like he is almost fed up with the horse. "I'm sure the hippocampi would love her, they love everyone as long as they aren't scuba divers, but there is a big problem with your plan. She can't breathe underwater, Blackjack. She'll drown."

Blackjack whinnies in protest and Percy sighs, giving into him. "Yeah, I guess my powers can protect her if I hold onto her, but what if she doesn't want to go? It's the middle of the night. She probably wants to go back to bed."

I lean forward so that Percy can hear me better. "I have no clue what you're talking about but I'm wide awake so whatever you're going to do, I'm in."

Blackjack lets out a grunt of approval.

Percy sighs again. "You sure? I don't know if it's safe for you to be that deep underwater. I've never really done this with anyone."

I give him a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. It'll just be an adventure."

Percy goes inside to grab a baseball cap then comes outside. He gets behind me on Blackjack's back.

"So what are we doing?" I ask.

"The hippocampi need help. Have you rode a pegasus before?"

I nod. "Yeah once."

Percy smiles. "Great. I hope you like to ride fast because that's the only speed Blackjack goes."

I begin to ask him what he means but the thump of Blackjack's wings is too loud. He starts to trot then goes into a full sprint. We lift up slowly until we are flying right above the waves. Percy wasn't kidding. We are going about 100 miles per hour. The waves spray us in the face; I'm drenched and I haven't even gotten into the water. I look back at Percy to see him completely dry. Stupid Son of Poseidon.

I give Percy a wide smile. He smiles back but makes the mistake of opening his mouth as we fly through a cloud of gnats. It takes all my self-control not to fall off Blackjack laughing as Percy gags on the bugs.

"This is where we get off!" Percy yells over the thump of Blackjack's wings.

I look down at the water then back at him. "Here?"

Percy nods with a smirk. "Just don't let go of me, okay?" I nod and grab Percy's hand. Then without warning we go tumbling into the waves.

There is a sharp sting when we land in the water but it quickly goes away. I close my mouth and try to keep water from entering my nose. I grip to Percy's hand so tightly that I probably stopped circulation. My lungs start to burn from holding in but I don't open my mouth. I struggle to pull us both back above the water.

"You're fine, you can breathe underwater." Percy says. Surprisingly his voice doesn't come out as distorted from the water as I thought it would.

I decide to trust him and take in a deep breath. He was right. The water goes into my lungs just like air would. As long as I am holding on to Percy, I should be protected by his powers as well.

I feel something push up against my back. It's the ocean currents. They propel us further and further underwater. We get so far down that I'm sure any normal human would feel extremely uncomfortable. Luckily Percy's list of abilities include being able to go as far underwater as he wants.

As we get closer to the bottom, I see the hippocampi. Their manes are a pure white, their tails are a beautiful rainbow color that glimmers in the water, and they have a soft glow. They're beautiful and I gasp at the sight.

"They're so gorgeous." I whisper even though gorgeous isn't a strong enough word to describe them. They are the sort of things little girls dream about at night and ask Santa for as a present on Christmas.

Percy nods. "Yeah, but something's definitely wrong." He has a point. The hippocampi are swimming around in the water frantically like horses during a thunderstorm. Whatever it is, it must be truly upsetting.

When we get closer I see a dark shape entangled in a mess of nets by an overturned boat. The hippocampi try to chew at the nets but it doesn't make a difference.

They jerk up in surprise at our approach. They swarm around Percy. Based on the annoyed expression on his face, they must all be talking to him at once. I've spoken to Poseidon during one of Olympus's famous celebrations and he said that hippocampi have very high-pitched voices. If too many talk at once, they can give even a god a headache.

They don't seem to get that we want to help but can't since they are in our way. The hippocampi swim around us in hasty, unsure movements. Occasionally they would let out what sounds like a cry from their mouths. We move carefully so that we don't accidentally hit one while we swim closer to the poor, trapped creature. I gently nudge one out of my way, which gets me a very nasty look from several of the hippocampi.

One of them swims up to my face and glares at me.

Percy stifles a laugh. "They're asking if you're a scuba diver."

I shake my head. "I'm not." I tell them.

That seems to please the hippocampi because they stop glaring at me so harshly. One even rubs its head affectionately on my hand.

"Moooooo" The creature groans. I squint at the dark mass to see what looks like a cow with a tail.

I almost gasp when I realize that I recognize it. I have heard stories about it as a child. It's black, scaly tail the worms around underneath it is undeniably familiar. The top half of it is most definitely a cow with its brown eyes and spots.

"Percy that is Ophiotaurus!" I gasp.

He raises an eyebrow. "Ophio-what?"

"Ophiotaurus." I repeat. I bring my eyebrows together. "I don't remember what but I know there is something very important about it. I just can't remember the story..." I know that there is something very important about this creature. Deep down I just know it but I can't place my finger on it. Athena would often tell me stories about different creatures as bedtime stories. I'm sure that the story of Ophiotaurus was one of them.

Percy moves towards Ophiotaurus and it lets out a loud moo. "Whoa there, where did you come from?" He asks. It lets out a sad moo. Percy turns to me. "I can't understand it. I guess talking to sea-cows isn't in my list of abilities."

I roll my eyes. "It's not a sea-cow."

"Well then what would it be?" He raises an eyebrow.

"An... Ophiotaurus." I say slowly.

"Isn't that its name, though?"

I glare at Percy then sigh in defeat. "Yes, of course that is its name. Now that I think about it, sea-cow seems right."

Percy laughs to himself. He grabs the net and tries to tug on it. Ophiotaurus lets out a cry of protest and he stops instantly. "You said something about Ophiotaurus being important. What it is? Maybe we could tell Chiron."

I knit my eyebrows together. "I... I don't remember. All I remember is that long ago it was placed in the heavens as a constellation. I don't remember much else about it."

Percy shrugs. "She probably isn't that important then if you can't remember anything about her." He turns to Ophiotaurus. "No offense."

"She?" I ask.

"It looks like a she." Percy says casually.

I look at Ophiotaurus. It does look very much like a she with her wide eyes and almost feminine features. Can cows have feminine features? Plus, his guess is as good as mine at Ophiotaurus's gender. There's a fifty/fifty chance of him being right.

Percy takes out a pen and uncaps it to reveal his sword. It gives off a copper reflection in the water. Ophiotaurus's eyes grow wide with terror. She thrashes around, causing the boat to tilt slightly.

"I'm not going to hurt you! Just let me cut the net!" Percy pleads but she doesn't understand him. She continues to thrash around and kick up muck in the sand. The hippocampi start to freak out too and swarm around us at fast speeds.

"Put away the sword!" I yell over the sound of the hippocampi neighing in distress.

He looks at me with wide eyes. "Then how are we supposed to get her out of the net?"

"Just put it away!" I yell back.

Percy lifts the arm that isn't holding on to me in defense. He recaps his sword and puts it in his pocket.

"Look, Ophiotaurus, no sword. You can calm down now." I say with a soft voice. She seems to respond to it and noticeably calms down.

"Calm thoughts. Sea grass. Mama cows. Vegetarianism." Percy says soothingly.

"Seaweed meadows, sea-cow friends, sea grass cud." I follow his lead.

Ophiotaurus calms down completely. She lets out a sigh of content. I run my hand along her side which calms her down even more. "Mooooo." She sighs.

I look up at the boat that looks dangerously close to crushing her. "Percy, we have to move that boat."

His face drains of color when he sees how close it is to ending poor Ophiotaurus's life. Percy thinks for several moments then turns towards the hippocampi. "Okay, I need you guys to push exactly when I tell you to."

The hippocampi move into positions on the side of the boat. I have one hand against the boat while the other holds on to Percy. I don't feel like drowning today.

"Push!"

We push as hard as we can but the boat isn't moving. Percy and I need to use both of our hands. We let go of each other and push against the boat. Immediately I feel the pressure build in my body. My chest begins to ache and my ears pop. It is not a pleasant feeling. With all that, my lungs start to ache from holding my breath.

We push the boat over with a clank. Immediately I hold back onto Percy. The effects of being underwater wear off. I take in a deep, calming breath. My heart is racing at a million miles per hour. It is terrifying to think that you are forty feet under the water with no way to breathe.

"You okay?" He asks. Percy looks very concerned for me. I can't blame him. If anything happens to me down here, it would be his fault since he was the one who brought me over forty feet underwater.

I nod. "Yeah, just felt weird. That's all."

Percy doesn't look too convinced but lets it go. There are bigger problems. Ophiotaurus is still stuck in the net.

* * *

We spent a long time trying to untangle her. Since Ophiotaurus's name was too long, we have begun to call her Bessie. Well, Percy did and I went along with it. It seems fitting and she seems to like it.

"We're almost done, Bessie." I whisper as I grab the net and tug.

Bessie lets out a small moo. "It's okay, Bessie. Good cow, nice cow." Percy mumbles. He tugs on the net and Bessie is able to wiggle free. She zips away and does several somersaults in the water. She looks truly happy to be out of the net.

Bessie swims back and nuzzles us both affectionately with her nose. I ran my hand over her head. "It was nice meeting you, Bessie. Stay safe!"

Percy pats her head. "Yeah... stay out of trouble."

"Mooooo!" Bessie lets out then swims away. She gives us when last look before swimming too far away for us to see her

"That was fun!" I say at last with a huge grin.

Percy laughs at me. "About as fun as the time I had to untangle my video game controller wires."

I smack his arm playfully but I seemed to move in slow motion since we are underwater. "We did a good thing. Look how happy we made Bessie."

He shakes his head with a laugh. "We might as well get back before the harpies find us breaking curfew."

Using his powers, Percy propels us towards air. It's amazing how fast he can force the currents to go. All the while we zoom up to the surface, Percy is smiling like he won the lottery. I'm sure he feels just as good about saving Bessie as I do.

I let out a gasp when we get to the surface. I let go of Percy's hand and tread in the water. High above the lake I see Blackjack. He lets out a cheerful neigh when he sees us wading in the water. When he flies by us, we grab his back and hoist ourselves on.

Now I am truly jealous of Percy. Here I am, soaking wet with my hair in my face while he's sitting back completely dry. It's not fair if you ask me! If I had a say in it, every demigod would have the ability to stay dry in the water, not just the children of Poseidon.

Percy nods to Blackjack. For the past few minutes they have had a conversation. "Yeah. We rescued a baby. Rina said it was Ophiotaurus. Do you know what that is?"

Blackjack says something that causes him to frown. "Well whatever Ophiotaurus is, she is nice. We almost got trampled for her." Percy glances down at me. "Are you cold?"

I examine myself. The water feels cold, but it doesn't seem to be affecting me. Any normal person would be shivering or possibly catching hypothermia. I, on the other hand, am just fine.

I shake my head. "Not at all." Can I? I wonder if I can. Well it doesn't hurt to try. I close my eyes and picture the water racing off of my like I can make dirt do. I feel it run down my arms and off of my clothes and body. When I open my eyes, I am perfectly dry.

"I... I didn't know Aphrodite's kids could do that." Percy exclaims with wide eyes.

"Most can't." I say bluntly.

Percy is about to ask something when he looks down. I follow his gaze to see Nico hiding behind a pillar on the dining pavilion. He's crouching behind it while peeking along the side.

"What do you think he is doing?" Percy asks. "Blackjack, set us down here behind the columns." He says to the Pegasus.

I shrug. "I'm not sure." I answer.

Blackjack swoops behind the columns and sets us on the ground. The second we are off his back, Blackjack swoops back into the air to fly with the clouds. He is nothing but a black spot against the even darker sky.

Percy and I walk quietly to where Nico is. There are several voices. They sound like Bianca and Zoe. It is very clear that Nico is spying on his sister, not that I'm surprised. Ever since we found out Bianca is going on the quest, he has been a nervous wreck. He even spent an hour after curfew talking to Silena and me about how worried he is. We had to practically talk him down from a panic attack.

Percy opens his mouth and I immediately clamp my hand over it. His eyes go wide in surprise but then he connects the dots. Nico is spying on the Hunters. He takes out a hat from his pocket and sets it on his head. One minute Percy is here, then the next second he's not. Since I don't have the luxury of turning invisible; I just crouch down behind a bush.

"It cannot be cured before we leave for the quest." Zoe says in a hushed tone.

"How did it happen?" Bianca asks.

Zoe frowns. "A terrible prank. Those Stoll brothers from the Hermes cabin gave her a shirt laced in Centaur blood. Their blood is like acid. They were foolish enough to spray the inside of the shirt with it."

"That's terrible!"

"Phoebe will live but she will be bedridden for weeks. There is no possible way for her to join us."

"But the prophecy!" Bianca exclaims. "If she can't go then there are only four. We will have to pick someone else to join us."

"There is no time. We must leave a first light. Besides, the prophecy said we would lose one." Zoe says calmly.

"In the land without rain." Bianca mumbles to herself.

"Camp Halfblood might just be that. The magical barrier keeps out all unwanted weather. It could very possibly be the land without rain."

What Zoe's saying makes sense, but I'm not too sure. And based on her tone of voice, Zoe isn't too sure either. Interpreting a prophecy is about as difficult as reading someone's mind. You can make a guess, but you can never know for sure.

"But Zoe-"

"Bianca, you must listen to me. I can't... explain in but I have a feeling in my gut that we _shouldn't_ ask another camper to join us. It would be too dangerous and I feel it would give them a fate much worse than Phoebe's. I do not wish that upon anyone. I don't want Chiron to choose a fifth camper and I cannot risk another Hunter."

They stay silent for several seconds. "You should tell Thalia about the rest of your dream." Bianca starts. "If your suspicions about the General-"

"It would not help." Zoe interrupts. Her voice sound incredibly strained, as if she's forcing herself to sound strong. "I have thy word to not speak of it. If it is true, we will find out soon enough. Now come, Dawn is breaking."

Both the girls start sprinting down the steps. Nico moves out of the way, but since Percy is invisible, I have no clue if he moved or not. For all I know he left me here!

Zoe stops for several seconds, staring at the air beside her. She begins to grab her bow until Bianca yells something to her. Zoe takes one last look around then joins Bianca's side.

Nico looks after the pair. He takes a deep breath and prepares to run. I jump out of the push at the same time Percy takes off his cap and becomes visible. "Wait!" We both rush out at the same time.

Nico almost falls down the steps in surprise. "Rina? Percy? Where did you two come from?" He asks with wide eyes.

I look towards the shrubbery. I force the leaves out my hair. They drop to the ground one by one. "A bush. Percy was invisible."

"Invisible? Wow!" Nico exclaims. He looks at Percy, as if he expects him to turn invisible again at any second and he wants to be the one to see it.

I step towards him. "How did you know Zoe and Bianca would be here? Were you just outside the whole time?"

Nico blushes slightly. "No, I... ahh... heard them talking outside my cabin. I never could sleep very well here. Maybe it's the mattresses. I heard them whispering and footsteps, so I followed."

Percy blinks at the boy. "Please tell me you aren't thinking about going on the quest too."

Nico shuffles his feet on the steps nervously. After several seconds of silence, he nods.

"You can't go." I say finally.

"Because I'm too young?" Nico asks defiantly.

"Because they won't let you." Percy answers. "They'll just catch you and bring you back. Also because you're too young." I glare at Percy since I believe Nico and I are the same age, so he's telling me that I'm too young when I am perfectly capable to go on the quest. "You remember the manticore? There will be tons more like that except more dangerous. Some of the heroes will die." Percy reasons.

Nico's shoulders sag in disappointment. "Maybe you're right, but you can go for me?"

"What?" Percy exclaims in surprise.

Nico looks up at the Son of Poseidon with hope in his eyes. "I would ask Rina, since she is good with a sword, but she can't turn invisible like you. You can go, Percy!"

"The Hunters don't like boys." I remind Nico. "Especially male heroes."

He shakes his head. "Don't let them find out. Help them while staying invisible! Keep an eye on my sister. Please, Percy. Please!"

The guilt on Percy's face is clear. "Nico..."

"You're planning to go anyways, right?"

Percy stays silent for several moments. "Yeah I am. I have to find Annabeth and I have to help them."

"We won't tell on you!" Nico looks at me with wide eyes and I nod in agreement. "But you have to keep my sister safe."

He wants to agree to it, I can see it in Percy's eyes, but we both know that could be too big of a promise. "I don't... listen Nico, that's a very huge thing to promise, especially on a trip like this. She has tons of people looking out for her like Zoe, Grover, and Thalia."

Nico narrows his eyes at the half-blood. "Promise." He says sternly.

"I'll do my best. I can promise that."

"Well then get going! Good luck!" Nico says.

Percy starts to run but stops suddenly. "Tell Chiron…."

I wave a hand at him. "We'll figure something out. Don't worry. Go on."

He starts running down the steps when I realize that I have to tell him something. I run along side him with ease.

"Percy, I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen to Bianca. You have to keep an extra eye on her."

Percy nods. "I can do that." He says in between deep breaths.

"Also, if you ever become un-invisible, can you tell Zoe I'm sorry for earlier. She knows what it will be about."

He nods again. "Sure." With that I stop and watch him go after the van. I can tell that this will be an interesting quest.

* * *

Nico and I stand before the Centaur with straight faces. Mr. D glares at us while Chiron just looks downright suspicious.

"You said Percy was doing what?" Chiron asks slowly. He takes a deck of cards and shuffles them as he analyzes our faces for any lies.

"Shining every fish in the lake until their scales shine." I wrinkle my nose. "He showed me them; they're filthy."

Mr. D raises an eyebrow then turns to Chiron. "It's true. That's one of the many things the water nymphs find to complain about. Glad someone's doing it. I was considering sending the Stoll brothers down there as punishment for their little... experiment on Hunter but now I can have them wash the bathroom with their toothbrushes like they do in those movies that you mortals enjoy."

Chiron doesn't look convinced and ignores Mr. D like everyone wants to do. "When did he tell you that he will be back to camp?"

Nico shrugs. "I don't know. Not for a long time, though."

"Uhh huh." Chiron murmurs. He glances at both of us with narrowed eyes. "When you see him, tell him that he needs to sign some paperwork stating that he will stay year-round. We wouldn't want the cleaning harpies to accidentally eat him."

Nico and I share a glance at each other before nodding. "Don't worry, we'll tell him." Nico says with a convincing smile.

"Well that's good, then." Chiron says slowly. "Mr. D, I will be back. I'm just getting a different set of cards. I don't feel comfortable playing with a deck that has mustaches drawn on the gods' faces." I glance down at the deck in his hand to see Ares with a handlebar mustache. I let out a snort which only earns me a glare from the Centaur.

Chiron wheels himself out of the room. The god turns towards us with murderous glint in his eye.

Mr. D groans in irritation. "Just stop with your childish shenanigans!"

I raise an eyebrow at the god. "Childish shenanigans?"

Dionysus narrows his eyes at me. "Yes, your 'childish shenanigans'. Obviously he went on the quest." Nico and I open our mouths to disagree but the god holds up his hand to stop us. "Don't bother. You both are terrible liars and it is impossible to lie to a god." I'm just about to tell him about all the times that I lied to Hera about where Zeus is and she believed me, but I figured that now is not the time.

Nico shrugs. "Well even if he did go on the quest, which I'm not saying he did because he is in the lake shining the fish, but if he did, there's nothing anyone can do. Right?"

Mr. D scowls to himself. "Oh, there's something I can do. I really hate that kid." He grumbles under his breath. The air shifts and bends around his body. One moment he is sitting before me, the next there is only an open chair. I wonder what he's going to do. I'm sure he is just going to lecture Percy and bring him back... Right?


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you everyone for your support of this story. You have no idea how much it means to me. I hope you all continue to enjoy this story.  
**

**So here's a little background of what happened with Aikarina's father.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of the Percy Jackson series. I only own Aikarina, Tyler, and Ava.**

* * *

_Athena points towards a paragraph in a book and reads it out loud to me. Her face is the definition calm as the words flow out of her mouth fluently. She doesn't stumble or stutter once. I rest my head on the table and sigh. I want to listen to her, I really do, but it's not my fault that whatever she is reading is so boring. It's much more interesting to listen to her voice instead of the actual words she is reading. If I am not focused enough, the words all mash together in a clump of silky unfamiliarness. If I pay attention, there is a relayed response in my brain that translate the Greek to a language I know. That response is terribly annoying and takes out the beauty of the goddess's voice.  
_

_A purple butterfly lands. It moves its wings up and down slowly. I let out a giggle when it flies away to join the other butterflies by a patch of flowers.  
_

_Athena looks up from the book. "Rina, are you paying attention like you should be?" She asks but she knows the answer. Athena always knows.  
_

_I smile at the goddess. "Yes, Athena."_

_She sighs and closes the book. "Don't lie. You cannot lie to me."_

_I let out a long groan. "I'm sorry for lying. I wasn't paying attention. Can I go play with Apollo now?" I whine._

_Athena frowns. Her fingers drum on the table nervously. "Apollo is busy taking care of some things, plus we haven't finished today's reading. Afterwards you can play with him as much as you like."_

_"__But Athenaaaaaa." I complain.  
_

_She narrows her eyes dangerously at me. "Don't Athena me, young lady. Your education is very important and I would rather be torn apart piece by piece than see you become an uneducated oaf. Now, I would like you to read this poem by Solon. Who is he?"  
_

_I think long and hard about the poet. "Solon was a Greek poet who lived in... Athens?" I glance over at the goddess who nods in approval. "Wasn't he the first citizen of Athens to reference you."_

_Athena smiles fondly. "Yes he was. He was a very kind and smart man who created wonderful poetry that more than Apollo can appreciate."_

_I glance down at the first poem. The writing looks like a jumbled up mess of lines. Suddenly the words take shape to one that I can understand. "Some wicked men are rich, some good are poor. We will not change their virtue for our store: Virtues a thing that none can take away, but money changes owners all the day."_

_The goddess takes the book from me and continues to read off poems to me. I once again lay my head down and try not to focus on the words too much._

_There are footsteps approaching us from the entrance of the garden. Whoever they are, they aren't making any effort to be quiet. Athena continues to read on. Maybe because she already knows who it is or she is so engrossed in the poem that she doesn't notice. I look up to see my father and Apollo walking towards us. They both have a sad expression on their face but I don't pay attention to it. This is the first time I have seen dad in weeks._

_"__Dad!" I shriek. Athena looks up, almost startled. Without hesitation I get up from my chair and rush towards him. The ends of Athena's mouth curves into a small, sweet smile._

_Dad fakes a smile and spins me around in the air. "There's my Rina!" I giggle as he spins me faster and faster. Suddenly he stops and pulls me into a hug. He smells like lilacs. Some would say that lilacs is a very unmanly smell, but if my dad smells like that, then it is the manliest smell on earth.  
_

_"__I missed you!" I exclaim. Dad sets me on the ground and I let out an oomph.  
_

_His smile falls slightly. "I missed you too, sweetie." He messes up my bright blonde hair which I fix in a matter of seconds.  
_

_I place my two small hands on his face. I then pull on his cheeks to make him do funny expressions. "Why were you and Aphrodite gone for so long? Apollo said there was a trial or something."_

_Dad shoots a nasty look to the god but quickly looks back to me. "You shouldn't call your mother by her name." He scolds. I take my hands off his face at the tone of his voice.  
_

_"__Why not?" I ask in a quiet voice._

_He raises an eyebrow. "__Because she is your mother. You should address her as such."_

_Even my child brain knew not to argue with dad on this matter. "Why were you and mother gone?" I repeat, more insistent this time.  
_

_Apollo frowns. "Tyler..." He warns._

_Dad kneels in front of me on the ground. "Listen, Rina. I... I'm going to be gone for a while." He swallows then puts on a brave face. One that I'm sure he has worn back when he would defeat monsters.  
_

_"__Again? But you just got back." I ask in disbelief._

_He looks like he's holding back tears. He looks so upset but I don't know why. "I'm sorry, Rina."_

_Like a child does, I change emotions like a light switch. "__How long? Will you be back in time for my tea party? Apollo and Athena are coming too! And maybe Poseidon and Hera, but they aren't too sure. They're veeeery busy." I bounce up and down in excitement._

_Dad smiles at my happiness. "I will be there, just not in the way you think."_

_I tilt my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

_He shakes his head. "Don't worry about that. I just came to say goodbye."_

_A deep feeling of despair washes over me. I'm not sure how, but I feel as if this will be the last time I will ever see him. "Dad..."_

_He places a large hand on my head. Each of his hands are bigger than my face. "You know who my father is, right?"_

_"__Lord Ares!" I say proudly. I remembered the bedtime stories that he would tell me.  
_

_Dad nods slowly. "Because I am his son, I get angrier than most. I get more aggressive. I hate that part of me and I never wanted to give a piece of that anger to you. When you were born, I hoped that maybe your mother cancelled out the small bit of your grandfather that I gave you." He gives Athena and Apollo a look. They both nod for him to go on. Dad continues to talk. "That didn't happen. It actually amplified it."_

_I scrunch up my face. "What does 'amplified' mean?"_

_"__Amplified means to make bigger or stronger. To multiply something." Athena answers from her seat at the table.  
_

_"__You're going to get angry. You may want to hurt someone. Please don't let it control you like I let it control me for so long. It will be like a monster in a cage; don't let it out." Dad whispers. It's almost as if he's afraid for me. "Whatever happens, don't let the anger control you."_

_I have no idea why he is telling me this, but I nod to make him happy. "I promise."_

_He smiles. Dad leans forward to kiss my forehead. "I love you, Rina."_

_"__I love you too, dad."_

_Athena steps forward with a solemn expression on her face. "Tyler, you must return to the throne room."_

_Dad gets up reluctantly. He gives me one last hug before leaving the garden with Athena. Dad casts me one last look before exiting to the streets of Olympus.  
_

_Apollo kneels down in front of me, taking the place of my father. His smile is so bright that it could blind someone. "Hey, Rina? Athena been forcing you to listen to her boring books again?"_

_I let out a laugh that sounds like wind chimes. "She always does! Let's play hide and seek!"_

_Apollo brings his eyebrows together. "I don't know. That might not be the best idea right now with everything going on."_

_I look at the god with an innocent expression on my face. "What's going on ?"_

_He lets out a nervous laugh. "You know what, you hide and I'll count to ten."_

_"__Twenty!" I negotiate. I jab my finger into his chest.  
_

_ "__Fifteen!"_

_"__Seventeen!"_

_Apollo holds out his hand to shake. I immediately place my palm in his and shake our hands up and down. "Deal!" I squeal._

_He stands up to face an olive tree. "One... Two... Three..." He counts. "Better get running Rina. I'm already at five... Six..."  
_

_I let out a gasp before running from the garden. There is only a short amount to find a good hiding space. I run down the street, pushing past minor gods and street vendors. There is one spot I have in mind: behind Hestia's throne in the throne room. It is covered with plants and vines so I can easily hide in the back of it. I'm sure she won't mind._

_"Ready or not, here I come!" I hear Apollo shout from the garden. I let out a gasp of surprise. He did not count all the way to seventeen._

_I run up a large set of stairs. Once I get to the top, it feels like I'm a deflated balloon. But I have to keep going. Apollo could be right behind me and I haven't even found a hiding space!_

_There is a loud rumble of thunder that shakes the stones of the building. I know I shouldn't sneak into the gods' meeting but I'm too curious. After I see what this is about, I will take my place behind Hestia's throne and cover my ears so that I won't hear anything more.  
_

_I quickly glance behind me. Apollo isn't even close to finding me. He's probably still in the garden searching through all the bushes. I remember some tips that Artemis and Hermes gave me about moving quietly. I crouch close to the floor and move slowly behind a column._

_I peek around the column. There I see seven of the twelve gods sitting in their thrones. They rarely all meet unless it is a solstice or time of war, which it hasn't been for many, many years. Aphrodite sits in her throne with a depressed expression. She looks close to crying. My dad, however, looks calm and tranquil as he stands in front of the powerful beings. _

_"We have come to the conclusion that you, Son of Ares, are sentenced to death by the lethal poison Conium. Do you understand why?" Zeus glares down at my dad. He taps his finger impatiently on his chair. Zeus's bright blue eyes shine with unimaginable power.  
_

_My dad grits his teeth. "Yes. For an inappropriate relationship with the goddess Aphrodite."_

_Hera steps from her throne. Instantly she shrinks down from the size of a giant to normal height. In her hands is plain, golden cup with black liquid swirling inside of it. In the drink there are several mashed up seeds and leaves. Tyler takes it with steady hands but his face drains of color when he looks down at the contents of the cup._

_"It has taken many years to finally reach a decision, however the only planned punishment is the one that will take you out of the realm of the living. When you reach the Underworld, you will face immediate judgment. Your punishment will not stop at death, I can assure you that." Zeus booms across the room._

_My dad opens his mouth to say something but quickly shuts it. He looks up to the god. "I want to ask for one thing."_

_Zeus glances at my dad in surprise. "You are in no position to ask for favors."_

_"Just humor a dying man. All I ask is for you to leave my Aikarina alone. I don't want her punished for something that isn't her fault."_

_Poseidon looks over to his brother. He is the most compassionate of the two. "That does seem fair. He has served the gods well so he should be rewarded for his loyalty. I also agree that his daughter shouldn't be punished just because she is alive."_

_Zeus frowns. "That loyalty vanished the day he laid his eyes on a goddess and acted on his lust."_

_Poseidon glares at the god. "Brother, he has served Olympus for many years. Several times he has saved Camp Halfblood, where many of the other gods' children live, and has saved Olympus itself from the threat of corruption. I believe that despite his... wrong doings, he deserves a small reward for his service."_

_Zeus thinks for several moments then turns to my dad. "I can promise that she will not be touched for exactly five years. Then this situation will be reconsidered."_

_Dad shakes his head. "You won't touch her, ever!" He growls, unafraid of the god's power, or so it seems._

_The room fills with static electricity. Zeus's eyes flash with godly power. "Remember who you are speaking to. Would you rather I force her drink the poison along with you?"_

_Dad opens his mouth to argue further but Athena interrupts him. "Do you not care for your daughter? The more you speak the more you doom her!" She hisses. Athena must've gotten through to him because he only silently glares at Zeus._

_"Drink the poison." Zeus commands.  
_

_Dad brings the goblet to his lips but hesitates. He brings it away from his lips in slow, cautious movements. His face is full of complete despair. In an act of desperation, he turns to Athena. "Please tell Rina that I didn't want to leave her."_

_Athena nods in agreement. She places a hand over her mouth to keep a sob from coming out. In a fraction of a second she fixes her expression back to a cold, marble-like one.  
_

_Dad gulps down the liquid in the cup quickly. He winces at the taste. For a second, nothing happens. Then he lets out a loud gasp that echoes throughout the room._

_I instantly look away and cover my ears but I can still hear his cries. A small son escapes my mouth, tears stream down my face. Even though I'm young, I understand what is happening. He lets out another gasp. I can't listen to him. I can't... I can't..._

I jolt up in my bed, hot tears streaming down my face. After all these years the infamous nightmare has come back. Several weeks after my dad died, I would relive that day moment each time I went to sleep. I hope that this doesn't become a recurring thing like before. I don't know if I will be sane if I go through the same things I did the couple of weeks after his death.

Silena lets out a loud snore. I swear she can sleep through anything. Even if the cabin was falling around her, she would be fast asleep.

I look out the window. It's still the middle of the night. There is nothing to do but go back to sleep.

* * *

**THREE DAYS TILL WINTER SOLSTICE**

I swing my sword around in my hand. Ava from the Ares cabin lets out a grunt when our swords collide. She lunges towards me but I side step away and smack her sword with a loud clang. Ava pulls away and goes back into a defensive stance.

I see her raise her sword high. At the last second I roll away from her swing. Her sword whizzes inches from my ear. It's almost as if she intends to kill me.

I smack her hand with the side of my sword. Ava lets out a hiss but doesn't drop her weapon. She swings wide with her sword and I take a jump back. I see a weakness in her defense and instantly take it. I lunge forward and smack the sword out of her grip. It goes flying from her hand and into the dirt. I lift my sword to her neck with a swift movement.

She glares at the blade but her gaze softens when she looks up at me. Ava lets out a laugh that sounds more like a witch's cackle. "This is the third time you did that. I'm convinced; you're skilled with a sword." Ava blows her sweat and dirt filled brown hair out of her eyes. I bet I look the same way, but with purple hair.

I let my sword shrink back into a dagger so Ava is no longer at the mercy of my blade. "I had to knock you sword out of your hand three times for you to finally think that?"

Ava shrugs. "Hey, it's not my fault that the Daughters of Aphrodite aren't known for their sword fighting and the Children of Ares aren't known for losing a fight with grace."

I laugh with her. Ava is definitely one of the kinder kids of Ares. This morning I saw her practice on the dummies with her sword. We both sparred each other and we've found that we have a lot in common! Finally there is someone else to talk to instead of Silena and Nico. Don't get me wrong, they're great! Just not exactly fun to only talk to them 24/7.

"Just wait till Clarisse comes back. I want to see who will win between you guys." She says thoughtfully. Ava leans forward and cups her hands around her mouth for dramatic effect. "Don't tell anyone but I think you will win." She places her hand over her mouth and looks at me with wide eyes.

"Don't let your siblings hear you say that." I warn.

Ava cracks a smile. "They're all whiny babies over there. They can't deal with losing a fight, or even someone saying they will lose a fight. They all need to learn to grow some balls and just accept defeat."

I raise an eyebrow. "Like you can? The first time I won, you tried to punch me in the jaw!"

Ava smirks at me. "Hey, like I said, the Children of Ares aren't known for losing with grace and I missed.

I rub my shoulder. "Yeah you missed and got my shoulder. It still hurts."

Ava rolls her eyes. "Puh-lease. I have been stabbed before and that hurts more than that little tap. I'm sure you will survive." A little boy the looks a couple of years younger than me calls out for her. "I gotta go. I promised my little bro that I would teach him how to throw a spear." She tells me.

"Goodbye then." She waves at me while she walks towards the boy.

I look over at the Big House to see Nico looking very sad, more than I thought he would be. Without a moment of hesitation, I run over to him.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

Nico looks up at me in surprise. He didn't hear me coming. "Just worried. I had a nightmare last night." He says quietly.

I sit down in the grass next to him. There is a thin layer of snow but it doesn't bother me. Nico, however, is shivering. "I don't know what they're about, but they're just dreams. Percy will keep her safe." I say but he doesn't respond. I stand up and hold out my hand to him. "Come on, you're going to freeze if you sit in the snow for much longer."

Nico grabs my hand. I lead him towards the Big House where I know there will be a fire.

"How are you not freezing? You're only where pants and a shirt!" Nico exclaims. I look down on myself. Compared to many people at Camp Halfblood, I am under-dressed. Scratch that. Compared to everyone.

I shrug. "The cold doesn't really bother me."

Nico's eyes grow wide as a thought jumps into his mind. "Is that a power that Children of Aphrodite have? Not being cold?"

I laugh at his response. "No! Just me."

He looks at me with confusion. "Why do you these abilities while your siblings don't? I don't see them transforming into different people and doing things."

I sigh. "It's a secret."

Nico scowls at me with a dark expression. "Well, aren't we friends?"

I blink in surprise. I never really had any friends other than the gods, and even then I am not completely sure, so it is an understatement to say I am surprised that Nico would call me his friend. I break into an uncontrollable smile despite the dark look he is giving me. "Yeah, I guess we are. You're going to have to promise not to tell anyone though."

He groans. "Another 'swear on the river stinx' thing?"

"Yes, another 'swear on the river stinx'."

"I swear never to tell anyone-" He stops when Chiron walks up to us. Chiron crosses his arms in front of his reindeer sweater that is a sickly green and looks at us with an expecting expression.

"Have either of you seen Percy? He still hasn't come in to complete the paperwork." Chiron stares at both of us with narrowed eyes.

Nico grabs my arm. "He has been busy with the fish, but we can get him right now if you want."

Chiron sighs. The bags under his eyes tell me that he hasn't been sleeping very well. Poor Chiron. "Why don't you just tell me where he is and I will meet him. It would be much quicker this way."

Nico looks stuck. He opens his mouth for an excuse but quickly closes it when he doesn't see any. I decide to save the day. "Actually, it wouldn't. He has been... trying out a new hobby and would be very upset if anyone but Nico or I disturbed him."

Chiron pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "And what would that hobby be?"

I open my mouth to say something innocent like meditating or knitting, but Nico has another idea. "Skinny dipping! He says that it makes him feel one with the water." Nico interjects. I consider slapping my forehead, but I need to play along to make it seem somewhat believable.

"I... ahh..." Chiron starts. He brings his hand to his forehead. "Just send him to the Big House. And let him know that we will have a long discussion about having different, less scandalous hobbies."

As soon as Chiron is out of hearing range, Nico turns towards me with a mischievous look on his face. "Can you do it?"

I bring my eyebrows together in confusion. "Can I do what?"

"Can you become Percy?" He exclaims louder than necessary.

I hush him. Several other campers give us odd looks. "I guess but I don't want to do this sort of thing again. It gives me the creeps every time I pretend to be someone I'm not." I shudder involuntarily.

"But you pretended to be Bianca."

"That was because that was different. I thought I had to otherwise your sister would go on the quest, but she went anyways."

Nico glares at the grass. "Doing this will help Bianca. They won't force Percy to come back and he can protect her!"

I want to say no, I really do, but I can't when he gives me the guilt treatment. Though I doubt that Chiron would force Percy to come back so suddenly, Nico thinks that if I pretend to be Percy that it will help his sister. "Fine!" I mumble.

He looks up at me with hopeful eyes. "Thanks, Rina!"

* * *

Nico looks around Percy's cabin in amazement. It is a mess. There is armor everywhere and even some candy wrappers that the Stoll brothers probably sold him In the corner there is a small fountain with drachmas on the bottom. He reaches down to grab one but I hold him back.

"I don't think Lord Poseidon would be too happy with you stealing from Percy." I state bluntly. Nico looks at the pool longingly before nodding in understandingly. He grabs a shirt, hat, and jeans that were Percy's then looks at me expectantly.

I close my eyes and picture Percy's face as well as I can. The bones in my face move to match his facial features. I open my eyes and look down at my chest. I'm not nearly developed enough so I don't have to change my body too much. I pull my hands above my head and stretch. My spine stretches to about Percy's height. The only thing that is missing is his hair and clothes.

I place the hat on my head to cover the purple spot in my hair. I'm about to put on the clothes when I realize that Nico is staring at me. My cheeks turn a bright red. "Get out! I may look like Percy but I can tell you that I'm very much a girl right now." I say with Percy's deep voice. The words sound weird coming out of my mouth, like they weren't mine to begin with.

Nico whispers a sorry before leaving the cabin, his face just as red as mine. I quickly change out of my clothes and slip on Percy's. Now I am the perfect replica of the halfblood.

When I walk outside, Nico's eyes grow wide. "You look just like him!"

I shrug. "That was what I was going for. I'm going to talk to Chiron. What's the plan?" I ask.

"The plan?"

"Yeah, what am I supposed to tell him?" I play with the bottom of my shirt nervously.

Nico thinks for several seconds. "Tell him... tell him that you're going home. Then you wouldn't have to pretend to be Percy anymore."

I nod in approval. That does seem like it will work. I hope it does.

I walk into the Big House to see Chiron and Mr. D playing their usual game. Mr. D glares at me and I have a feeling he can see right through my façade. Chiron, however, looks completely oblivious to what is happening. Or maybe he is just pretending to be oblivious to humor Nico and me. Hopeful the first one.

Mr. D gestures to a chair. "Sit right there, Peter Johnson."

"Percy Jackson." I correct as I sit down.

Mr. D narrows his eyes. "I really don't care." He turns back to his game and places a bet. A satyr quivers in his seat as he makes a bet. Mr. D hands me some cards. "Know how to play Pinocle?"

I nod. This gets me an odd look from the god and the Centaur. I place my bet and the game continues.

"Percy, what are your plans? Will you stay here at camp or go home?" Chiron asks. He gazes at his cards intently then takes his turn. Mr. D cusses under his breath but doesn't make any other sign on whether or not he is winning the game.

I clear my throat. Think like Percy. Act like Percy. Talk like Percy. "I'm going to head home to mom... mother.. mama..." I trail off quietly. Smooth. Very smooth.

Chiron and Mr. D both look at me strangely before going back to their game.

Chiron nods. "I see. Now Aikarina, why are you covering for Percy while he is on the quest without the camp's permission?"

My mouth falls open in shock even though I shouldn't be. I wasn't acting very convincingly.

Mr. D glares at the satyr. "Go! Scram!" He commands. The poor boy jumps up and rushes out of the Big House, tears threatening to come from his eyes. Dionysus makes several tsk noises. "What were you thinking, lying to a god?" He wiggles a large finger at me.

I let out a sigh and I shrink back to my original body I was born with. My hair grows out to the purple color I have become used to. I take off my hat and set it on the table. It isn't until I shrink down into my original height that it becomes clear how much bigger Percy is than me. The clothes are incredibly baggy and I know I won't be able to walk to my cabin without my pants falling down.

"We already know that Percy has gone on the quest. You impersonating him was completely unnecessary." Chiron informs me.

My cheeks light up with whole thing was for nothing. "I'm sorry Chiron and Dionysus."

"Mr. D." He warns.

I glare at him. Here I am trying to apologize and he just tells me to call him Mr. D. I know I shouldn't give in, but the shard of me that is Ares refuses to back down on this inconsequential technicality. "I'm sorry Chiron and _Dionysus_." I repeat defiantly.

Mr. D's eyes spark a bright purple full of godly power. "That's the problem with you halfbloods, you have no respect! Like I have to tell that idiot boy constantly, names are a powerful thing. If you continue to address me with zero respect, I will show you how cruel of a god I can be." He growls in frustration.

My lips form a straight line in distaste. "That's your name, isn't it? Why would you make people call you Mr. D when your name is Dionysus!" I yell. Deep inside me it's like a monster is clawing itself into my head and shouting words out my mouth. I know that this isn't something to fight about but I can't help letting out all my frustration at the god.

The god stands up but Chiron moves to stop him. "Rina, Mr. D, this isn't anything worth fighting about." The centaur turns to me with a disappointed expression. "You know better than to purposefully anger a god."

I open my mouth to fight more, but then I remember the promise I made my father many years ago. I won't let the anger control me. I won't give in to the fight. Instead I suck up my pride and stare at the ground. "I'm sorry Mr. D. I... don't know what came over me."

He sneers at me. "Yeah, yeah. Just get out of here before make vines grow in your stomach."

I quickly escape the Big House, and I'm sure if Chiron wasn't there, I would've been dead before I left the building. Nico looks at me with expecting eyes. When he sees that I'm no longer Percy, he looks disappointed.

"They know that he's gone." I say though it is obvious.

"Are they making him return?"

I shake my head. "I don't think so. Don't worry, he can still protect your sister." I say confidently, but the nagging feeling in my mind stops me from feeling that way myself.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you guys for supporting this story! I appreciate every single follow/review/favorite!.  
**

* * *

I wake up to a loud scream from the Hermes cabin. Almost like a harpy but it sounds so human like. It is so loud that even Silena wakes up. We share a look then grab our weapons without hesitation. Together we run to the cabin where everyone from camp is also running to with their weapons drawn.

When we run inside, we don't see a monster killing someone like we expected. Instead we see Nico fast asleep and screaming his head off.

Travis and Conner look at us with a hopeless expression on his face.

"He just started screaming like this! He won't wake up!" Travis yells over Nico's screams. He covers his ears with his hands to try to drown out Nico's cries.

I kneel next to Nico and shake his shoulders. "Wake up! Nico!" I yell but he doesn't respond. Whatever he's dreaming about must be terrible.

Silena and several people from the Ares cabin yell at the same time to try to wake him up, but it's like Nico is forever stuck in his nightmare. His hands clutch the blankets tightly. So tight that his knuckles are pure white.

Ava walks over and looks at Nico thoughtfully.

"What are you doing?" I yell over the noise.

"Waking him up!" She responds.

Ava kneels down next to me with a small dagger. She takes his hand and cuts along his palm. Nico lets out a cry of pain He shoots up in the bed, smacking his head against the top bunk. He looks at his hand like it's melting before his eyes.

She smirks at her victory and holds up the dagger so everyone can see. "Laced with a poison that causes a lot of pain. Fries your nerve-endings." Ava gives Nico a small vial filled with a blue liquid. "Here's the antidote. Might want to drink it fast because the poison will reach your heart in about a ten minutes. Then you'll really be in pain."

Nico doesn't think twice when he drinks the liquid. Immediately when he swallows the antidote, he lets out a sigh of relief. He looks around the cabin in confusion. "Why is everyone in our cabin?" His voice comes out hoarse from his screams. Nico places a hand on his throat and grimaces.

Charles looks down at him in surprise. "You don't remember?" He asks in a deep voice. "You woke up everyone when you were having a nightmare."

Nico flushes in embarrassment. Silena gives him a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Nobody blames you. Everyone has a bad dream everyone once in a while. You just gave us a scare because you weren't waking up." She tells him but that only makes Nico even more embarrassed.

Silena grabs Charles's hand. They both share a loving look. When I glance at them, I feel the soft glow of love in my heart. But it isn't my love; it's theirs. They both love each other so much that it burns like a raging fire.

It takes a lot of strength to tear my eyes off the couple. Being the Child of Aphrodite makes us all drawn to any sign of love. I place a hand on Nico's arm. "What was it about?" I ask.

"Bianca." He whispers fearfully. "I saw her die over and over again. It just kept replaying over and over..." He trails off. His hands shake slightly at the nightmare.

I bite my lip. "It's just a dream. Only a dream." I tell him but I think otherwise. Demigods have a reputation of having vivid dreams that sometimes happen, but I won't tell him that. He's already shaken up. There is no need to make him more worried. "I'm sure you're just worried about her so your mind came up with the worst case scenario."

Nico nods. He accepts that explanation. "You're probably right."

The rest of the people leave. Travis and Conner go back to sleep. From the look on Nico's face, I know that he will be awake for a long time because of the dream.

He frowns. "It seemed so real."

Silena shrugs. "A lot of the dreams halfbloods have feel real. Sometimes they dream about the past, present, or future. I know that I have had a couple of dreams about Percy when he was accused of stealing the master bolt. I also had some dreams about Clarisse bringing back the golden fleece and even one about the Princess Andromeda. It's pretty cool, you know?" Silena rambles. I send her a glare to show her that she is just making everything worse.

Nico's face turns bleach white.

Silena's eyes grow wide. "But that most likely isn't the case here. It doesn't happen very often so I'm sure that Bianca is just fine. Like Rina said, you're worried so your mind just created the worst case scenario."

Silena and I stay several more minutes calming Nico down before going back to our cabin. When we leave him, he looks exhausted and completely depressed. He believed us when he said the dream didn't happen, but that didn't stop him from being freaked out by it.

The minute I step on the grass, the cry of the harpies echoes throughout the camp, like every time that I leave my cabin. I think I spot them behind a tree but they don't move any closer. They just watch from a distance with small, beady eyes.

Silena opens the door to our cabin.

"Charles loves you, you know." I state nonchalantly as I step inside.

She blushes brightly. Even in the dark I can clearly see her bright red cheeks. "I know." She says. A secret smile creeps up on her lips.

"And I know that you love him too."

Silena smiles very big. So big that it covers most of her face. "Yeah... yeah I guess I do. That's the problem with our abilities. We know other people's feelings, but we can never be too sure about our own. Thank you, you're right. I love him!" She exclaims loudly to the camp. The harpies let out a loud screech in response, which sends us both into a fit of laughter.

Silena pats my shoulder. "Come on. Lights out. We don't want to fall asleep during archery practice."

For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a sister. This is one of the best feelings I have ever had and I hope that it never ends.

* * *

TWO DAYS TILL WINTER SOLSTICE

Throughout the whole day Nico has been down. It is clear to everyone. He barely ate any of his dinner, he finished his chores in twice the time it usually takes him, and he refused to go along with the Stoll brothers when they wanted to mess with some of the other campers. The whole time that he has been here, he has taken part in their pranks but no he is barely speaking to them. It's odd.

I swing my sword slowly towards him and he barely blocks it. Every time that I practice with him, I go easy. But today I am going easier than usual.

"It's just a dream." I remind him, knowing that the nightmare is what is bothering him.

He frowns and lunges towards me, I quickly side step him and knock his sword down. Nico doesn't bother to pick it up again. "But it felt so real and Silena said that sometimes halfbloods dream about stuff, and it comes true! Then Conner told me this story about how he had a dream that one of his friends died on this quest then a week later they were burning his burial shroud."

I frown. Someone will have to remind me to tell Conner off later. "_Sometimes_ is the key word. I think that you are just too worried about her. It's just a dream."

"I hope so." He grumbles. Nico is just about to pick up his sword when Silena and Ava run up to us with armor on and their swords ready. There is a special gleam in their eye that only an upcoming fight can give someone.

Ava collides into me with a big hug. "Rina! There were several hellhounds seen by the border. Silena, some of my siblings, and I are going to kill them. Want to come?" Ava asks. Her eyes flash with adrenaline at the thought of a fight, and I'm sure my eyes look exactly the same.

I smile and nod enthusiastically. Nico eyes grow wide. "Hellhounds?" He asks. "I have their card in the mythomagic game. What are they like in real life? Are they like the picture?" His words rush out at a million miles per hour. All thoughts about his nightmare disappear.

"Well they're huge and pure black. They're pretty much rabid dogs that like to munch on halfbloods for fun." Silena answers with a sly smile.

"Can I help?" Nico asks. Ava, Silena, and I share the same look.

"I don't know..." I start.

Nico face moves to a smile, one that I haven't seen in a while. "I can help you guys. I have been practicing with a sword and it would be good for me to get some experience fighting monsters."

"He does make some good points." Ava mutters. She doesn't look too pleased with the idea of having Nico along, but she doesn't say anything against it.

I nod. "You can come but don't get involved with fighting any of the hellhounds. You aren't good enough with a sword to fight one, okay?"

He smiles and picks up his sword. "Okay!"

Nico and I put on our armor. We then join the others to find the hellhounds that are terrorizing the camp. Several Children of Ares lead us past the border and into the surrounding woods. Sherman stares at the ground, unsure for what he is looking for. He points towards a direction. "I think we should start looking that way for the hellhounds."

I shake my head. "I don't think that will work."

Sherman scoffs at me. "Have a better idea, princess?" He sneers.

I glare at him. My hand unconsciously heads towards my sword, but I quickly stop myself. "Yeah, I do. I have some experience with tracking."

He raises an eyebrow. "That's great, honey, but we're trying to find the monsters today. Despite common belief, makeup is not a proper tool for finding monsters." He says sarcastically.

I narrow my eyes dangerously at him. "I don't know about you, but I traveled with the Hunters for a while, so I am far more qualified to find them than you." I look down in the mud where there is a large paw print. It's as big as my hand. Surrounding it are several more paw prints. There are at least three hellhounds.

Now, when I traveled with the Hunters, I was nowhere near as skilled as them. In fact, I was the worst of all of them. Constantly I would go off on the wrong trail or track a bear that ended up to be a deer the whole time. But over time I picked up several things, and even though I was the worst tracker of all the Hunters, I am better than Sherman. That I know for sure.

I glance up and see several broken sticks. The hellhounds are too big to travel around without messing things up. Normally they would shadow travel but for some reason they're just walking around camp, leaving a very obvious path. This should be easy, even for me.

I point in the opposite direction Sherman said to go. "We should go that way."

He crosses his arms over his chest. "If you want to go the wrong way, sure."

I consider punching the smirk right off his face. I quickly discard the idea because a broken nose is not going to make him go along with my plan. With one hand I gesture towards the broken twigs and the obvious trail. "Are you kidding me? Do you not see the trail that the hellhounds made? They're giant dogs! They're going to make a mess and this is the way that they went!" I point out.

Sherman grits his teeth. One of the hardest things for a Child of Ares to do is to swallow their pride. I empathize with him, I really do. There have been several moments where I had to take a step back and hold my tongue. Just because I get what he's going through doesn't mean that I don't dislike him any less.

He shakes his head. "Anyone who wants to go with me, follow me. Anyone who wants to go with Miss Hunter, follow her."

"We need to stay together." Silena says. She frowns at the several Children of Ares that are following their brother. "The hellhounds are here for a reason. They do not just appear by the border of camp for the sake of scaring several campers. They were sent here by someone. If we separate then it will just be easier for them to pick us off."

Sherman glares at Silena and me. "No, it will be easier for them to take out two Daughters of Aphrodite and an undetermined. C'mon Ava, let's go." He gestures Ava over to them.

She frowns at her brother. "I'm sticking with Rina. If she says she knows what she's doing, then she knows what she's doing." Ava places her hands on her hips defiantly.

"Ava..." Sherman starts but she interrupts him.

"Just suck up your pride already and get over here. Plus, even I can see the trail. I can't believe you are being so... arrogant." She sneers at him.

He scowls and throws her a packet of ambrosia. "Don't let them get you killed." That is all he says before he and the rest of the Ares cabin leave to go find the hellhounds their own way.

Silena kicks at a nearby stump. "I hate the Ares cabin. They all think they're sooo right all the time." Silena mutters. Ava raises an eyebrow at her. "No offense." Silena adds after several awkward seconds.

Ava shrugs. "None taken. Try living with them. But then again, I can be just like that too so I shouldn't be talking." Ava turns to me and salutes. "Lead the way ex-huntress." She holds her hands out in the direction I said we should go.

I smile. "I never was a Hunter but okay."

I guide them over logs and through bushes. The trail never seems to end but we keep going. We even follow the hellhound's trail over a road! It seems to me that the hounds are circling the camp and the others think the same thing.

Nico sucks in a deep breath. He bends over and places his hands on his knees.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

He nods but looks like he is about to pass out. "Just... not... in... as good... shape... as you guys." He wheezes. For the past half hour we have been practically sprinting through the woods. Nico doesn't have as much training as us so it would only make sense that he wouldn't be able to keep up.

Silena rubs his back to help him breathe. "By the time this summer is over, you will be able to run right alongside us. Don't worry."

I pass Nico my water, since his waterbottle is already empty. He drains almost half of it before returning it to me.

He cracks a smile. "Thanks. I was so thirsty."

A smile creeps up on my lips. "You're welcome. We can't have you dying of dehydration, can we?"

We are about to start tracing the path when we hear a deep growl.

Ava, Silena, and I immediately get into position. Nico raises his sword but is unsure what to do. We stand back to back and look around us. I see bright eyes between a bush. It was staring straight at Nico. Then they disappear behind several twigs.

Several twigs snap around us but we don't see anything. The hellhounds blend in with the shadows. I look over at Ava to see if she sees anything, but she just shrugs. Nico lets out a yell. I whip my head around just in time to see a hellhound lunge for my neck.

None of my training could prepare me for this moment. The fake hellhounds in Olympus looked nothing like this. This hellhound is twice as big and twice as nasty. And I thought the replicas of hellhounds that Ares set on me were bad.

I try to get out of the way but it's too big. It lands on my chest. It feels as if an elephant is sitting on me and I hear several cracks. There is a sharp pain the dulls out in my chest. I have several broken ribs which are going to take at least a day to fully heal. My sword flies out of my hand and into the grass besides me. I hold back its head to keep it from biting at me, but its jaw comes closer and closer. Some of its spit falls on my face but that is the last of my problems.

I hear Silena let out a grunt and the slash of a sword. Ava and Silena must be fighting the other two.

"Get off of her!" I hear Nico yell. He raises his sword above his head, and surprisingly, the hellhound does as it's told. It steps off of me but continues to try to reach my neck. I scoot away in the grass but it keeps coming closer. Nico raises his sword but the hellhound knocks him aside gently.

My hand hits something metallic in the grass. I look down to see my sword. The hellhound rushes towards me with a snapping jaw. At the last second I stab it in the side, making it dissolve into a pile of dust and ash.

Ava and Silena stab the hellhounds they were fighting, and instantly they dissolve into ash like the first one.

Ava lets out a chuckle. "That was a lot harder than I thought it would be."

Silena nods. "They kept moving. It wasn't right. These must be someone really important's hellhound because they were so well-trained."

Nico rubs his head from his fall. Sometime during the fight he lost half of his armor, including his helmet. "Why didn't it try to go after me? It just pushed me aside like I didn't matter."

Ava thinks for several moments then shakes her head. "No idea. But I wouldn't complain if I were you. It's a blessing in disguise that the hellhounds didn't think you were important enough to kill."

I let out a hiss of pain. My arm was injured during the fight and is seeping almost gold-like blood. It glitters in the afternoon sun like water.

Silena looks down at my arm. "Rina!" She gasps. I glance down to see it gushing blood. There is a long scratch mark where the hellhound attacked me. She kneels beside me and forces me to lie down. "You're losing so much blood! And it's not the right color! What if the hellhounds had poison on their claws?" She whispers. Silena rips a part of her shirt and wraps it around the wound. Ava reaches into the pouch and tries to give me a clump of ambrosia. Nico leans against a tree, looking very pale.

"I'm fine! I will be fine!"

Ava gapes at me. "Fine? Do you not see the large hole in your arm?" She shouts. "And you're poisoned! We need to get you to the Big House!"

I look down at my arm. It is almost completely healed. The only evidence of something happening is the dried blood on my arm. "What hole?" I ask with a secret grin.

Ava does a double take when she sees my arm. "But... but... you were just gushing blood! What..." She stutters.

Silena eyes grow wide. "It was huge!" She says. "You were losing way to much blood! You could've died! But now..."

Nico looks at me with wide, curious eyes. He is more amazed than anything while Ava and Silena are trying to make sense of what happened. They keep trying to come up with explanations but all they come up with is that it was a superficial cut and the all the blood was because it was so long. So while we were sitting here, the wound clogged and stopped the bleeding naturally. Their explanation for the glittery blood was that it only looked that way because of the sun.

I pop up from where I'm sitting. My chest aches slightly but I can already feel the bones mending themselves together. "Come on; let's go tell the others that we took care of the hellhounds."

We trace back our steps to where we started the search. There we find a very tired and angry group of campers stomping back to camp like little children. Their swords are still in their sheaths and look untouched. Their hair is messy and their armor is full of mud.

Sherman lets out a breathe of relief when he sees that Ava is okay. He runs over and messes up her hair. "What took you guys so long? I was just about to go after you myself!" He says to Ava. He glares at us but his gaze softens when he looks back at his sister.

She pushes him away roughly but there is a smile on her face. The Ares kids are terrible to others, but there is no denying that they are great siblings to each other. "We ran into the hellhounds and took them out. You're welcome." She says proudly.

"Nice job, Ava!" He gives her a high-five.

Ava rolls her eyes. "They helped me too."

Sherman scowls at us. Suddenly his face breaks into a smirk and he jabs Ava's side, making her laugh. "Nah, the only reason they found the hellhounds is because you're good luck!" The continue to chat but I'm not paying attention to them. I'm paying attention to Nico.

He gasps and clutches his chest. When he sees me watching, he straightens up and fakes a smile. I can see right through it. He's in pain, but why? I walk to his side and I see his knuckles are pure white from clenching them together.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

Nico nods, but even the slightest movement looks like it hurts. I glance at his hand to see it covered in blood. There is a large hole in the armor that can only be made by the claw of a hellhound. I don't know how I didn't notice it before.

"Nico? What happened?" I move his hand to see a large wound on his chest.

He grits his teeth. "I saw the hellhound come towards you and I jumped in the way. I didn't stop it though. It just kept going." He rushes out.

Nico starts to sway around from the loss of blood. I am just about to say we need to take him to camp when he passes out from the blood loss.

* * *

I pace back and forth on the porch of the Big House. A small girl from the Apollo cabin is stitching him up right now. She kicked me out so she could work better. Apparently I was breathing down her neck and that she will end up stabbing me with a needle if I continue to do that.

Never in my life have I been so worried for someone. One of my only friends at camp and I am responsible for almost killing them. If I wouldn't have turned around, then maybe I would've seen the hellhound before it got to Nico.

She steps outside with a smile on her face. The girl looks so much like Apollo, which only makes me miss home even more. She even has his perfect teeth and winning smiling.

"He's fine now. I just gave him some ambrosia and stitched him up." She tells me. I push past her and go into the medical area where Nico is sitting up on his bed and playing with some mythomagic cards. His face is full of color and there is a huge smile on his face. A huge improvement from the last time I saw him.

"I was so worried!" I gush out.

Nico smiles at me. "I was going to be fine. It's not too bad. Kayla said she had seen much worse."

"Kayla?"

He nods towards the door. "The girl from... I think Apollo's cabin."

I sit on the bed next to him, careful not to move around much in case it hurts him. "Yeah, the Children of Apollo are fantastic with medicine."

"It was impressive. She just did the stitches faster than my doctor did when I fell down the steps at Westover Hall."

I laugh to myself. If only he saw Apollo himself in action when it came to anything medical. I remember the first time that I fell from a tree and broke my arm. He completely fretted over me and had a sling appear out of thin air. Apollo nearly fainted in surprise when he saw my arm heal itself. He called me a 'medical miracle'.

I look down at the cards. "Are these those mythomagic cards?" I remember him saying something about it when he first came to camp, but I have never seen his cards.

Nico nods. "They are. I can teach you how to play if you want. It's a complicated game but you should be able to get it quickly."

I smile. "I would love that."

* * *

ONE DAY TILL WINTER SOLSTICE

Nico has been trying to teach me about mythomagic for hours now. I can't seem to get the hang of it because I would always say things like 'there is no way that Aphrodite would be able to beat Cerberus. He's a giant dog and she's just the Goddess of Love' and 'that fight can't possibly happen because he is in the Fields of Punishment for all eternity'.

Nico puts Zeus down on the table. I look at his attack points and find that he could take the entire game right there. I should just give up and proclaim Nico the winner.

I rest my chin in my hands to help me concentrate. I glance down at my cards and see nothing strong enough to defeat Zeus.

He raises an eyebrow. "Do you need help?"

I scowl at him. "No, I don't. I can do this turn without you telling me what I should do."

Nico raises his hands in defense. "Oookaay. But if I were you, I would put down my card of Ophiotaurus and the orb of fire." He says quietly, but loud enough for me to hear him.

Something clicks in my mind. I toss all my cards aside and only hold the card of Ophiotaurus. In the picture is the exact image of Bessie. I look on the bottom. _'Ophiotaurus cancels out all the opponent's god cards if combined with the Orb of Fire The opponent must remove all god cards in play. ***Ancient Greek myth states that if the entrails of Ophiotaurus are burnt, it will grant the burner the power to defeat the gods.***'_

"Bessie!" I scream in surprise. Nico looks up in shock but I don't give him an explanation. There isn't time. I run out of the medical wing as fast as I can. "Dionysus! Dionysus!" I scream as I run. I run to the main room in the Big House that Mr. D likes to hang out in. "Dionysus!" I gasp.

Suddenly I feel myself lifted up to the ceiling by only my ankle. I look up to see a dangerously thin vine holding me to the ceiling. Dionysus glares at me with bright, purple eyes. "What have a told you many, many times?" He growls. "You will only call me Mr. D, never by my name. Do you want to see how far you can go before I bury you in the strawberry patch?"

"Mr. D, I know what Artemis was hunting!" I rush out. Mr. D lowers me to the ground. When I am about a foot from the floor, he drops me. Luckily I have quick enough instincts to hold out my hands and keep myself from breaking my spine.

He raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. "Well, what is it?"

"Bessie!"

His face falls slack. Mr. D blinks at me in confusion.

I shake my head wildly. "No, no, no! Not Bessie. Ophiotaurus!"

He opens his mouth to contradict me and then closes it. Mr. D gives it several moments of thought then nods in agreement. "That does make sense. Good work, Airatiti."

"It's Rina." I mumble. "Aren't you going to go tell the other gods?" I ask.

He shrugs. "It can wait." He walks over to the fridge and takes out a bottle of grape juice.

"It can't wait!" I protest. "If the entrails are burned then..." I pause when I see the start of an Iris message right behind Mr. D. The image becomes clearer and soon I can see Percy, Thalia, Zoe, and Grover. Their faces are flushed and their weapons are raised.

Mr. D looks over at the Iris message and scowls as if he is having the worst day. "Do you mind?" He asks then takes another sip from the bottle of juice. I'm sure it's a nice change from the Diet Coke.

Percy looks behind him with an almost terrified expression on his face. "Hello, we're about to die! Where's Chiron?" He says frantically. I step forward so that I can see them better. I wave at Percy who gives me a sad smile.

The god smirks at the idea. "About to die? That sounds very exciting." He muses.

I frown at Dionysus. "Mr. D, come on." I plead.

"I'm afraid Chiron is not around at the moment. Would you like me to send him a message?" Mr. D says with a slight smirk.

All the hope falls out of Percy's face. He turns back to his friends. "We're so dead."

Thalia tightens her grip on her spear. She puts on a brave face but I can see that she is scared of what is about to happen. "Then we will die fighting." She says. Her lips form a straight line.

Mr. D yawns and places the bottle of juice back in the fridge. "How noble of you, like every other hero I have met. So what's the problem?"

Percy turns back to the Iris message. "The monster Artemis was hunting was-"

"Ophiotaurus, I know. Aikaramalama told me all about your little... _Bessie_." He says in distaste. I stop myself from correcting him on what my name is. Now is not the time. Percy needs Mr. D's help.

Percy looks surprised but quickly recovers. "Well, she's right here and Luke and the General are all looking for her. We have no way to get her out of here because we are about to be killed by a French manticore and his soldiers!"

Mr. D reaches into the fridge and takes out a gallon of milk. He takes the lid off and smells the contents. He stands there for several moments, as if weighing a bunch of thoughts, then takes a small sip. "So that's it?" He says after several moments. Mr. D winces at the aftertaste of the milk, then pours it down the kitchen sink.

Percy looks angrier than I have ever seen him. "You don't even care! You'd rather watch us die!" He exclaims in disbelief.

"Mr. D, you have to do something!" I say. It is so frustrating that I can't just hop through the Iris message and help them.

"I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight." Dionysus says to himself.

I hear yelling through the message and I see Percy, Zoe, Grover, and Thalia get into defensive positions. In the background I swear that I see several mortals with guns but I could be wrong.

Mr. D looks at the message like it is his favorite program. "You could always ask for help. A nice 'please' can get you far."

Percy sighs. "Please, Mr. D. We need your help."

There is a moment when nothing happened. I am just about to beg Mr. D to help them when the Iris message turns to a tinge of light purple.

SNAP

Suddenly I see the soldiers surrounding the four acting weird like dancing with each other and speaking nonsense. The manticore gets engulfed by a bunch of vines. He wiggles around momentarily before falling still. He is there no more.

Mr. D closes the fridge with a thud. "Well, that was fun." He mutters with a frown but he does truly look like he enjoyed himself.

Percy stared at him through the Iris message with a horrified expression. "How did you... What... "

Mr. D grimaces at him. "You show such gratitude for the god that saved your lives. The mortals that the manticore was using will come out of it in time. Would be too much paperwork if I made their condition permanent." He sounds almost indifferent but I bet he was dying to do that someone. He glares at Thalia with an unusual amount of hatred. "I hope you learned your lesson. It isn't easy to resist power, is it? I'm sure deep down you were itching to get to Ophiotaurus."

Thalia blushes in embarrassment.

"Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most."

"Gods be with you!" I say before the message ends.

Mr. D scoffs at me. "Don't be volunteering us for anything."

I let out an unattractive snort. "Wouldn't dream of it."

I stand in the middle of the room awkwardly. Mr. D raises an eyebrow. "What now?"

"What are you going to do about Ophiotaurus?"

He groans like it is so much work. "I'll contact Poseidon soon and tell him all about our special visitor. Don't you worry your small mind."

I smile, despite the insult. Bessie is going to be safe and so will the gods. Today is starting to be a good day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you all for following/favoriting/reviewing/and just reading my story! It makes me smile every time I see that someone has left a review or followed this story. So thank you for your support! :)**

**This chapter is longer than usual but I hope you like it!**

* * *

"Rina!" I hear someone yell in my ear. I jolt up awake in my bed and grab my knife. My reflexes take over and one moment he is right by my ear and the next I am on top of him with a knife to his throat. The fact that someone sneaked up on me while I was sleeping terrifies me, even if I am in the safety of camp.

Slowly but surely my eyes adjust to the darkness. "Rina?" He says cautiously. Nico looks at my knife with large, startled eyes. He looks like a deer in headlights.

I sigh and get off of him quickly. Hoping that it might make up my attack, I stick out my hand to help him up. "Sorry, just what were you thinking waking me up like that?" I nearly yell at him. My hands shake slightly at the thought of almost killing my friend but I quickly control it.

Nico tugs on his sweatshirt. "It's the Winter Solstice." Nico states, moving past the knife incident quickly. I nod. Silena lets out a slight snore, signaling that she is still asleep. Very impressive if you ask me.

"I know it is. I do have a calendar." I say sarcastically. Ava's sarcasm has been getting to me.

Nico keeps going as if he didn't hear the sarcasm in my voice. "I heard Mr. D talking to Chiron about it! He thinks that the gods are going to kill Thalia and Percy!" He exclaims. Nico looks at me with expecting eyes but I'm not sure what he wants me to do.

"Why would they do that? Oh..." The realization comes down on me. "The prophecy." I mutter too quietly for Nico to hear.

He grips my arm tightly. "You can't let them do that!"

I pry his hand off of my arm. My hair moves to a perfect French braid in several seconds. The bags under my eyes disappear like someone used an eraser. It doesn't distract him like I hoped it would. Nico is still holding my arm with an unwavering grip. "Nico... I don't have control over the gods." I tell him.

Nico looks down at the ground and shuffles his feet. Luckily for my arm, he lets go. "Yeah, but you know more about the gods than anyone here! Someone has to do something."

I sigh. "Why don't you go to Olympus? It's just on the top of the Empire State Building."

His cheeks turn red with embarrassment. "I would but Argus caught the Stoll brothers trying to sell me some gum. The whole Hermes cabin is on lock-down." He shudders at the memory of the man with dozens of eyes that scatter his body. "They're too strict about outside food here. I mean, who put a whole cabin on lock-down for a couple pieces of gum?"

"I don't know if I can go to Olympus." I say after several moments of silence.

"Why not?" He asks me with wide, innocent eyes. Even though we are the same age, Nico appears to act much younger and more immature than me. I'm sure that being around the gods, that are thousands of years old, rubbed off on me.

"They don't want me there. That's why I'm at Camp Halfblood. I doubt that they will listen to me."

Nico frowns at my cryptic statement but continues to pry for a proper answer. "Please! What if they kill Percy or Thalia? What about Bianca? What if they hurt her?"

"They won't hurt her; she's one of Artemis's Hunters." I try not to think back to the Iris message where I didn't see Bianca with the others. Maybe she was just out of sight but I know that is most likely not the case.

He clamps his hand back to my arm. "You can't know that for sure unless you go there yourself!"

I can't help but feeling that I'm signing away my soul to Hades. Who knows how the gods will react if I just show up at Olympus? What if they decide to kill me after all? But when I look at Nico, I see someone who is new to this world. He doesn't completely understand the unspoken rules and he hasn't yet seen the corruption that comes with the gods. I find my tongue turn to lead and I'm unable to do anything but nod.

I take out the black purse that Athena gave me as a gift and place several things necessary if I need to camp out someplace for several nights. The last thing I want is to be unprepared.

Finally I am able to speak again. "If I don't come back can you tell Chiron I said thanks for everything?"

Nico's face turns bleach white. "Why wouldn't you come back?"

I kiss him on the cheek, leaving him red and flustered. Despite the almost funeral-like atmosphere, I laugh at his reaction. "Zeus isn't particularly fond of me and might want to finally finish the job that he couldn't finish earlier. That or Athena will murder me for not completing my studies like she has told me to. Out of the two, I would prefer the wrath of Zeus any day." There is a loud rumble of thunder that only makes me roll my eyes at the ceiling of the cabin. So the gods are listening in to my conversations.

Nico must think I'm joking, or he's in denial, because he lets out a nervous laugh. "See you later." He mumbles.

"See you later."

I leave the cabin and straight towards the stables. The harpies let out a screech, which happens every time I step foot outside past curfew. Behind several bushes I see a ruffle of feathers, but I don't think they will be getting any closer.

I open the door and see several of the pegasi are gone. There is only one left, and it's Lefty. Great. Just great. Lefty is known for only being able to turn left after he ate a mysterious flower that appeared in his stall. Rumor has it that the gods did it just so they can see a particular Son of Aphrodite fumble around with the pegasus after he insulted Hestia's dress.

"Hey, Lefty. How would you like to take me to Olympus?" I whisper. The pegasus lets out a snort and nuzzles the side of my face. It may not be the brightest pegasus, but he's a sweetheart.

I hear the sound of air being released from a can of pop behind me. I spin around to see Dionysus leaning against the stable wall. He takes a drink of his coke and does his best to hide his disgust. He even goes as far as to make a 'mmm' sound to make it believable.

"Uhh… Diony-Mr. D! I'm just checking on the horses." I stumble out.

He raises an eyebrow. "At four in the morning? Tsk. Tsk. And here I was thinking that you weren't as stupid as the other mortals." Mr. D takes another drink from his pop. "Oh, don't give me that look. I'm not here to punish you for all eternity. No matter how much I want to." He mutters the last sentence under his breath, but I can still hear him loud and clear.

I narrow my eyes at the god. "What are you doing here?"

Mr. D lets out a loud groan of annoyance. "Many, many years ago, before you were born, there was a shortage of woman in the best city on the Mediterranean. Location was perfect. Very nice sea breeze and they had very nice streets. The problem was that all of the citizens were either halfbloods or men. Not quite my style, but I see that's how your mother rolls." He gives me a nasty look.

"What does this have to do with anything?" I snap back at him. I'm not close to Aphrodite but that doesn't mean I like him insulting her. Especially when that insult also sort of insults me at the same time.

He wiggles his finger at me. "You'll find out soon enough if you would shut that mouth. You see, it was a beautiful place. I loved it and I hated the fact that I couldn't enjoy a woman's presence in my beloved city." I wrinkle my nose at what he is implying but I don't interrupt. "I complained about this day in and out to the other gods, making it very clear that I wasn't happy with the current demographics. After some convincing, I got Hermes on to my side and several minor gods. But they aren't important. Your mother got fed up with our complaints and finally used some of her love magic. She made about five hundred women from surrounding villages fall in love with the city and live within its borders. One of the kindest things she has ever done." Mr. D looks up at the ceiling wistfully.

I bring my eyebrows together in confusion. "How can she do that?"

It's like I kicked him off his cloud and back to earth. His almost smile transform to a scowl as soon as the words leave my mouth. Mr. D gives me a look that screams duh. "Love magic is crazy stuff, kid. I'm pretty sure one time your mother had someone fall in love with this cardboard cut-out of this hockey player just for a couple laughs. That is not the point, though. She made the women come back to the city. I wasn't about to go after any halfbloods or men, so I greatly appreciate what she did. Aphrodite claimed I owed her a favor. Now she's calling it in."

"What's the favor?" I ask.

He looks almost pained. The grimace on his face is equivalent to one of someone having their kidney stolen. "To give you whatever you want. So, Aikaripa, what do you want?"

I glance between the horse and the god, trying to decide which one I should take my chances with. Lefty is a very reliable horse but if I want to turn right, then I'm screwed. Mr. D is unreliable but at least he can turn right. Very tough decision here.

"I want to go to Olympus."

He scoffs at me. "Thought as much. I'm sure that Nicky kid told you everything when he was eavesdropping. He's not as sneaky as he likes to believe."

_It's Nico._ "So, you're going to take me there." I state but it sounds more like a question.

Mr. D scoffs at me again. "What do you think I am, a miracle worker? There are ancient laws that keep me from doing that. Do you remember the no direct intervention?"

I grit my teeth. "But I'm not on a quest."

He rolls his eyes. "Still can't. But I'll tell you what. I guide you there like the kind, caring god I am." I keep myself from laughing at his last sentence.

I glance at the pegasus behind me. "So you're going to make Lefty be able to turn right?" The pegasus spins around in his stall in excitement, turning left of course.

"Why would I do that? Then his name wouldn't make any sense. No, you can get to Olympus by yourself, you just need a push in the right direction." Mr. D tosses the can of coke at the pegasus. It dissolves into a puff of smoke mid-air. Lefty lets out a grunt of disappointment. Poor guy must've been really looking forward to turning right again.

"You're making no sense." I comment.

Mr. D glares at me. "Close your eyes." I open my mouth to argue but the look he is terrifying enough to keep my tongue still, so I reluctantly do as I'm told. "Where do you want to go?"

"Olympus." I answer, unsure of where he is going with this.

I hear him tap his foot impatiently. "Now that doesn't sound like you really want it. Where do you want to go?"

"Olympus. I already told you that!" I say forcefully. I clench my fists together to keep myself in control of my anger. I'm beginning to think that he isn't going to help me and just wants me to look like an idiot.

"Where do you want to go, Aikarina? Where do you want to go?" He nearly yells at me.

My blood starts to boil with irritation. "I want to go to Olympus!" I yell at the god.

DING.

I open my eyes to see us standing in an elevator lined with red velvet. The door opens to the streets of Olympus. All is quiet, just like when I was forced to leave.

My eyes grow wide in surprise and all the frustration I felt seconds ago wash away. I stare up at the god. "Did you...?"

He shakes his head. "Nope, that was you."

"How?" I gasp.

Mr. D scowls at me. "I'm done doing favors. Figure it out yourself. Come on, the meeting is about to start and I don't want to be late because of some _little girl_."

We walk through the street of Olympus. Nothing has changed. The buildings are still there, looking untouched. The street vendors are still selling the same extravagant merchandise. Everything is as I remember it. The air even still smells faintly of lilacs. I take in a deep breath. _Lilacs_.

Mr. D purposefully walks with big strides so that I have to jog to keep up. Several times when I was slowing down, he would glare at me as if it's my fault. If he wasn't walking so fast, then maybe I would be able to keep up!

Outside of the throne room, Grover is sitting on a bench, looking incredibly nervous. He stands up abruptly when he sees us approaching. Grover takes a large bite out of an aluminum can.

"Mr. D? Rina?" He addresses us. The satyr's eyes grow wide when he sees me but he doesn't say anything else. He takes another bite out of the can.

Mr. D looks at both of us. "You are not to come in until you are told so, got it? If I catch either of you even trying to eavesdrop into our conversation, I will personally send you to an early grave."

We both nod. Mr. D goes inside. I hear voices so I know that the Winter Solstice meeting is beginning. Grover moves aside on the bench to give me room. We both sit in silence when suddenly the doors fly open. I take that as a sign that we can come in.

Zeus narrows his eyes at me when I enter but he doesn't say anything against it. A good sign. Ares mumbles something to himself while staring at me, only to get elbowed in the ribs by Aphrodite. Apollo and Artemis are smiling at me and the rest are close to glares. Even Athena is digging daggers into me; most likely upset by my lack of learning. Not a very welcoming sight but it will do.

I glance up at the ceiling full of constellations. There is a new constellation of a huntress shooting an arrow. It looks like Zoe. It's almost uncanny how much the Huntress in the sky looks like the Huntress I know in real life. I quickly look at Artemis. She nods solemnly. Tears threaten to come from her eyes but she quickly hides it. Artemis doesn't need to say anything for me to know that Zoe is dead.

I gaze up at the collection of stars. If Zoe was here, she would be honored to know that her goddess gave her a place in the heavens. I place a clawed hand over my heart and push out, hoping that it will grant her safe travel through the underworld. She was a good person. No, _is_ a good person. There is no doubt in my mind that she will be rewarded. I hope that one day we will meet again.

Bessie is in an orb of water, floating above a large fire. She lets out an occasional moo. Bessie also likes to stick her head out of the ball and swim in circles. Apollo laughs silently at her but no one else finds it as amusing as him.

"Approach." Zeus commands Grover and I. The static electricity in the room multiplies. The hair on Grover's head sticks up but I use my abilities to make sure that each strand of hair is in place.

I keep my head down in respect as I walk towards his throne. Grover goes as far to get down on his knees and stare at the tiles. I'm sure that Zeus would've been fine with him just bowing.

"Aikarina, I did not expect to see you in my throne room so soon." Zeus comments.

I don't dare look up at him, just in case he zaps me with a bolt of lightning and claims it was because I was showing disrespect. "I didn't expect you to allow me into your throne room, Lord Zeus." So much for being totally respectful.

The ends of Poseidon's mouth curve up in amusement. His brother, however, sets his lips in a thin line. Zeus doesn't look too happy. "Consider yourself fortunate. You have disrespected me and all of Olympus by setting foot here again."

"Brother, she doesn't mean any harm." Poseidon says calmly. His bright blue eyes twinkle in mischief as he looks down at me. "She's here for my son and your daughter." I glance up in surprise when I probably shouldn't. They're gods. They know everything. There is no point trying to hide anything from them. They always eventually know.

Zeus doesn't seem to agree, but doesn't want to get into another argument. "Grover, the satyr. Tell me about your travels." He demands. If I were Grover, I would've been upset that the god didn't at least say please, but the satyr is more than happy to tell Zeus all about the quest. He didn't leave a single detail out. The gods whispered among themselves when he mentioned Pan and the Gift of the Wild, but other than that they weren't too interested. Apollo takes out his ipod, Athena writes things down on an ancient scroll, Ares cleans his sword, etc.

The doors of the throne room swing open. I glance behind me to see Percy, Thalia, and a girl who I can only assume is Annabeth. No Zoe or Bianca.

"Welcome, heroes." Artemis says. She smiles at them but it doesn't reach her eyes. I can only imagine how upset she is over the loss of her lieutenant and fellow Hunters.

Bessie lets out a loud moo in agreement. She does a flip in her orb of water.

Grover turns around with bright eyes. "You guys made it!" He starts to run towards them but quickly stops when he realizes that he might disrespect the gods by turning his back to them.

Zeus glances down at both of as, as if we are nothing more than ants. "Go on."

Grover and I run over to them. I pull Percy into a large hug.

"Bianca..." He starts.

"I know." I say. Short and simple. I let go and give Thalia a hug. Though I don't like her very much, I am glad to see her alive. Then I turn towards Annabeth. "I'm Rina." I introduce myself.

She smiles. "My name's Annabeth."

Grover gives his hugs to all of them. He grips Percy's arm with an incredible amount of strength for a satyr. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them not to do it!" He exclaims.

I look at him in confusion. I was here the whole time and I have no clue what he's talking about. When Percy glances towards me for answers, I just shrug.

"Heroes." Artemis addresses us. We turn around and face the goddess. She shrinks down from ten feet to the size of a normal human being. She switched out her Hunter attire for a silver robe that resembles the moon. There seems to be an aura of light around her that reaches the ceiling. "The council has been informed on your brave deeds. They are aware of Mount Othrys rising in the east. They know about Atlas's attempt at freedom and the army Kronos has raised. We have voted to act." She says with a small smile.

She turns towards the gods elegantly. "At Lord Zeus's command, my brother Apollo and I will hunt down the most powerful monsters before they join the Titan's cause. Lady Athena will personally check on the state of the other Titans to make sure that they are secure in their present prisons. Lord Poseidon has permission to use the powers of the sea against the ship _Princess Andromeda_ and send it to the bottom of the ocean. And for you, my heroes. These halfbloods have done a great service. Who could deny that?"

There is a long silence before Apollo clears his throat. He winks at me before talking. "You know, I gotta say. These kids did okay. _Heroes win laurels-"_ He begins to recite. I'm just about to let out a groan of disapproval when Hermes cuts him off.

"Ahh yes, first class job. Who is in favor of not disintegrating them?" Several hands go open. Demeter and Aphrodite. Oh, so now Demeter chooses not to kill someone. I have to say, I'm surprised that she will let several heroes she doesn't know live while trying to sentence me to death. I would be lying if I said that didn't hurt.

I glare at Apollo who just shrugs. He hesitantly raises his hand.

Ares growls. "What a minute, here." He points towards Percy and Thalia. "These two are dangerous with the prophecy and all. I say while we have them here..."

Poseidon sends a shock wave of anger towards the God of War. "Ares, you will not blast my son to bits." He all but growls.

Zeus glowers at him. "Nor my daughter. She has done well."

Ares shifts his gaze to me. Athena and Apollo shift uncomfortably in their seat. "What about Aikarina? She's dangerous too. None of us have any idea what she is truly capable of."

"You will not harm her." Athena booms. The gods all fall silent. The power radiating from the goddess is incredibly intense that it is enough to keep Zeus from going against her.

Apollo shifts his gaze between the two gods, almost expecting a full-out fight. "I have to agree with Athena. If you dare touch a single, little, perfect strand of purple hair on Rina's head..."

Ares smirks. He is obviously enjoying the tension. "Or what? You'll kill me with your terrible haikus?"

Apollo opens his mouth for a comeback but Zeus holds up his hand, commanding silence. "Her fate is already sealed. She will remain as she is, unless you wish to hold another meeting only to come to another vote that will most likely end the same way? Now is not the time for this discussion."

Percy, Thalia, Grover, and Annabeth look at me curiously. Their eyes are asking all the questions they can't say. I'm sure that once we return to camp I will be answering a lot of questions.

There is another long moment of silence. Athena leans forwards in her chair. "Now, back to the matter at hand. I am very proud of my daughter as well, but there is a security risk with the other two." Her gaze lingers on Annabeth. I turn towards her and instantly see the family resemblance. The same grey eyes and hair.

Annabeth gapes at her. "Mother, how could you?"

I open my mouth in protest. "Athena, you can't possibly-"

She cuts me off with a stern expression. "I find it unfortunate that my father and uncle broke the oath not to have more children. A fact that I find ironic is that Hades is the only brother who kept their promise. As we all know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods," she pauses and gazes over the two. "... such as Thalia and Percy... are very dangerous to Olympus. As thick-headed and ignorant as he is, Ares has a point."

I look away from the goddess that has raised me. The fact that she is so ready to kill these two, one of them that I consider a friend, is just terrible to me.

"Hey! Who are you calling-" Ares starts to get out of his seat when a giant vine wraps around his waist to keep him down. Athena looks very unimpressed.

"Please Ares, save the fighting for another time." Dionysus says calmly.

Ares mumbles several Greek curses under his breath. With one hand he rips the vine off of his lap. "You're one to speak, you old drunk. Do you seriously want to protect these brats?" He jabs a finger towards them.

Mr. D looks down at Percy and Thalia in disdain. Though his face looks full of dislike, his eyes show a tremendous amount of worry. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you believe it is truly safest to destroy them."

"It's not!" I blurt out.

Athena looks at me with a weary expression. I glance over at Zeus to see him lighting up with energy. If I speak out of turn much more, I'm afraid that I might be burnt to a crisp. She tears her gaze off me and looks towards Dionysus. "I do not pass judgment. That is not my place. I merely point out the risk. The fate of these heroes will be for the council to decide."

Artemis leans forward in her throne. "I will not have them punished for their heroic actions. They will be rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do Olympus a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympic justice, I will have no part in it."

Apollo lets out a whistle of surprise. "Calm down, sis. Just lighten up a bit."

Artemis glares at the god. "Don't call me _sis_. I will reward them!"

"Well, perhaps." Zeus grumbles. He is no longer glaring at Percy and instead looks thoughtful. "But the monster must be destroyed. Do we all agree on that?" All the gods nod in agreement.

"Bessie?" I squeak out.

"You want to destroy Bessie?" Percy exclaims in fear.

Poseidon raises an eyebrow at his son. "You named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?" He asks in confusion.

"Well actually Rina and I did." I elbow him in the ribs to tell him to get to the point. "Dad, he's just a sea creature. A very nice one in fact. You cannot destroy him."

Poseidon shifts in his throne uncomfortably. He casts a weary glance to Bessie who is swimming frantically in _his_ orb of water. Turns out we got the gender wrong. "Percy, the monster's power is great. If the Titans or any of Olympus's enemies got a hold of it-"

"You can't." Percy interrupts. I shoot him a look with startled, wide eyes to try to tell him that he needs to stop interrupting the gods if he wants to get out of here alive. Percy looks up at Zeus, straight in the eyes. The static electricity in the room seems to multiply. "Controlling the prophecies never works. Right? Besides, Bessie... I mean Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something that is innocent is just plain wrong. It's just as wrong as... Kronos eating his children because of something they might do!"

For a moment I thought that Zeus was about to throw Percy off of Olympus for talking to the gods that way, but then his sour expression changes to a considerate one. His sharp eyes focus on his daughter, Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos is well aware that if any one of you were to sacrifice the creature's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. How could we possibly allow that risk to remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen tomorrow. Just as the prophecy says."

"You have to trust them." Annabeth says loud and clear. Her voice bounces off of the pillars with the same intensity of the gods'. "Lord Zeus, you just have to trust them."

Zeus scowls and I know immediately what he's thinking. "Trust them? Trust a hero?"

"Annabeth, Daughter of Athena, is right." Artemis speaks up. "This is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion," her voice cracks slightly but she quickly covers it up, "Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I am in need of another lieutenant. But first, Lord Zeus, may I talk to you privately."

She moves from her throne and to Zeus's. They speak in hushed tones. Percy looks like he's going to puke all over the linoleum floor while everyone else looks incredibly curious in what Artemis has in mind.

Artemis turns to face us. "I will have a new lieutenant, if she accepts. Thalia, Daughter of Zeus, will you join the Hunt?"

Thalia raises her chin proudly. "I will." She announces without hesitation.

Zeus rises from his throne. "Daughter, consider well."

Thalia shakes her head. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow, or ever. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I will stand with my sister Artemis and Kronos will never tempt me again."

Artemis approaches Thalia with such grace only a goddess can hold. Thalia kneels before her. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

Thalia stands up with a smile on her face. Almost immediately it seems like she's glowing. Artemis gives her a small smile. Thalia turns around and engulfs Percy in a huge hug. He stands still, stunned, for several moments then he wraps his arms around her back. When she releases him, Percy still looks incredibly shocked.

"Aren't you not supposed to hug boys anymore?" Percy asks with a blush on his face.

Thalia rolls her eyes. "I am honoring a friend. I have to join the Hunt, Percy. I haven't known peace since... since Halfblood Hill. I feel like I have a home. You're a hero. You will be the one in the prophecy."

"That's great." Percy mutters to himself.

Thalia smirks at him. "I'm proud to be your friend."

Thalia hugs Annabeth and Grover. Both of them looking like they're going to cry. She then reluctantly gives me a hug.

"They're going to love you there." I say quietly.

I can't see her face but I'm sure she's smiling. "Really?"

"Yeah. You're going to be a great lieutenant."

Thalia pulls away. "Thank you, Rina." She gives us one last smile before joining Artemis's side.

"Now, for Ophiotaurus." Artemis says. The gods' faces turn stern like hard marble.

Dionysus looks at Percy with narrowed eyes. "The boy is still dangerous. Ophiotaurus is a temptation of great power. Even if we spare the boy-"

"No." Percy interrupts. Dionysus raises an eyebrow at his outburst. "Please, just keep Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere or some aquarium here in Olympus. You just have to protect him."

Hephaestus stokes his beard. Several sparks fly off in the process. "Why should you trust you?"

Percy shrugs. "I'm only fourteen. If the prophecy is about me, then there is still two more years."

Athena frowns. "Two more years for Kronos to deceive you. Much can change in two years."

"Mother!" Annabeth yells in disbelief.

"I can keep tabs on him." I let out. The gods are stunned to silence. "I know not all of you like me very much, but you can trust me. I have proven that many, many times. If I think that he is the tiniest bit swayed by Kronos, I can alert you all right away."

Several gods seem to approve of that idea, but it just made Athena look more worried. "Rina, that is a kind offer but that isn't the point. It is bad strategy to keep the beast and the boy alive."

Poseidon stands up from his throne. The amount of power washing off of his is stronger than hundreds of hurricanes combined. "I will not have the beast destroyed." He holds out his hand and his trident appears in a blue haze. "I will vouch for the boy and the safety of Ophiotaurus."

Zeus stands up abruptly, his eyes fizzing with anger. "You won't take it under the sea! I will not allow you to have that bargaining chip!"

"Brother, please." Poseidon sighs in exasperation.

Zeus holds out his hand. In a flash of white light his lightning bolt appears. My hair starts to stick up out of my control and the room smells of ozone. It takes a lot of energy to put my hair back into place.

"Fine." Poseidon gives in. "There will be an aquarium here, in Olympus, for the creature. Hephaestus can help me build one. The creature will be safe and we all can protect it with our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch that with my honor."

Zeus thinks about this for several moments. He allows his lightning bolt to fizzle out of his hand. "All in favor."

A lot of hands go up. Athena, Ares, and Dionysus abstain, but everyone else likes the idea.

"We have a majority." Zeus states. "Since the heroes will not be destroyed, we will honor them. Let the celebration begin!"

The room fills with a slow, classical song played by the nine muses. I look around and see people dancing. Every single person hears a different kind of music so that no one has to sit through songs that they don't like. Unconsciously I find myself humming along to the song. I know every single note. It's the one that Aphrodite and my father would dance to during the festivals. It was composed by someone a long time ago. I wish I remembered who...

I turn to Percy. "You did awesome! I'm not sure anyone else would be able to do what you just did."

Percy is about to reply when I feel myself being lifted in the air. I let out a gasp of surprise. Apollo lets out a chuckle and spins me around. My hair whips around my head like I'm in the middle of a tornado.

"Rina!" He bellows out.

"Apollo!" I giggle. He sets me on the ground.

"Been forever." He says. His eyes light up with pent-up mischief. Apollo purposefully messes up my hair, only for me to fix it a couple of seconds later.

I roll my eyes. "Not forever, but it's been a while."

I turn around to see Grover, Annabeth, Thalia, and Percy looking at me oddly. I just smile and wave at them.

Apollo motions Percy over to us. "Percy, the man of the hour!" Apollo places an arm around my shoulder and gives me a side-hug. I feel like I'm being squished so hard into his side that eventually we will mold together.

Percy walks over to us with a hesitant expression on his face."Hey Lord Apollo."

Apollo gives Percy a dazzling smile that could make any woman fall on their knees. In fact, several do. "You did a really cool thing, saving your friend like that and freeing my sister. I just want to let you know that you can drive the sun chariot any time that you want. It's not much harder than driving a car."

Percy shakes his head wildly. "Considering the last time my mom let me drive the car I nearly ran into a lamppost, I probably shouldn't."

Apollo lets out a laugh. "Ah come on, Perseus. Rina has been up there tons of times and she is younger than you."

I give the god an odd look. "Every time you let me drive the chariot it has been an unnaturally warm summer."

He shrugs. "Didn't set anyone on fire, so I say that's a victory."

Apollo turns back to Percy who is just standing there awkwardly. "Well, what about archery lessons? I know you could use it." He insists.

Percy shakes his head again. "Thanks, but I'm really not good at it. Archery just isn't my thing."

"That's why you need some! Archery practice from the chariot. Doesn't get better than that." Apollo smiles and several women let out squeals. Athena tells me that every woman without any sense is infatuated with him, which is almost all of Olympus. But I can see the appeal. He's one of the major gods, has a car, great smile, and great with kids. I'm sure that whenever Apollo's back is turned, the woman are clawing each other's eyes out to see which one can talk to him first.

Percy looks like he wants to get away. Apollo can sometimes be a little... too much for people who don't know him like I do. "Hey, Percy. I think Annabeth just called for you." I say.

He looks at me in confusion. "What, I didn't..." Then it clicks. He gives me a smile that says 'thank you'. "Yeah, I think I heard it too. I should see if she needs anything."

Percy leaves us behind. He weaves through the crowd until he gets intercepted by his father. Apollo lets out an 'ooo' sound that children do in elementary school when their classmates get called to the principal's office.

Apollo suddenly gulps. "Been nice knowing you, Rina. I'm sorry it has to end this way. I'll tell Artemis and Aphrodite that you said goodbye." He backs away from me. Apollo somehow disappears into the crowd. I hear some yells from several women so I at least know the general area where Apollo is. In his place is a not very happy Athena. She gazes down at me with stone like eyes. The crowd parts away from us, as if we have a deadly disease.

"Aikarina." I flinch at the use of my full name. She never uses it unless I am in huge trouble.

I look up at the goddess cold, grey eyes. "I'm so sorry, Athena. I meant to finish my work but things have been crazy at camp. There have been hellhounds and Hunters and new demigods..."

She narrows her eyes, not believing my excuses. "I told you I would be watching. You had plenty of free time yesterday and the day before to catch up on your studies. Instead you were playing an odd card game with a boy. Who is he? Who is his parent?" See, the gods don't know _everything_.

I shuffle my feet on the floor. "He's just a friend and nobody knows."

Her face softens. "I will give you one last chance. If you do not work on your studies, I will personally come down to Camp Halfblood and force you to read your books that I generously gave you. Am I understood?"

"Yes Athena." I smile before engulfing her in a large hug. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." She murmurs. Athena pulls away. Her face falls into a frown. "Aphrodite wants to speak with you. She has been dying to talk to you ever since you arrived in Olympus."

The smile falls off my face. "Why?"

Athena pushes a strand of hair out of my face that somehow lost control. "Perhaps it has something to do with you releasing a pegasus from Camp Halfblood in her name or perhaps your prophecy. Or maybe it's because she is your mother and you are her daughter." Athena sees my sour expression. "She's trying to make up for all those years that she wasn't there for you. Many of your siblings don't get the luxury of even knowing her."

I glance up at the goddess in confusion, completing ignoring everything she said about Aphrodite trying to rekindle a mother-daughter bond that we never really had. "What do you mean? I didn't release the pegasus for her. Lord Poseidon asked me to."

Athena shakes her head. She almost looks sorry for me. "Your mother thought that if she asked you, then you would rebel. Which I believe she would be right. She convinced Poseidon to send a letter to you to help his son. Aphrodite has her own agenda, I'm afraid. One that involves pushing two people together. No matter how much they don't want to be." She stares at her daughter who is dancing with several minor gods. I see her eyes flicker towards Percy then to Aphrodite who is staring at us intensely.

I look at the floor. "I really don't want to talk to her."

Athena sighs. "Then don't. Believe it or not, but you do have some power here. You may not be powerful in the way the gods are, but you do have an influence in Olympus. More than you will ever know." She snaps her fingers and almost instantly a water nymph is tugging on my arm. Athena smiles. "Go on. Have fun. I will keep Aphrodite away from you tonight."

"Thank you, Athena. I love you!" The words just slip out like I have been saying them my whole life to her. I think it should feel odd, I'm not really sure, but it feels right. Like a little kid telling their mother that they love them. It only makes sense.

Athena smiles and she looks the happier than I have ever seen her. "I love you too, Rina."

Apollo pops out from behind Aphrodite with a cup of wine in his hand. "I love you too! Never forget that!" He points his finger towards me. It hasn't even been ten minutes and Apollo is drunk. Believe it or not but the gods can get drunk, and it's usually more disastrous than if a normal person had a little too much to drink.

I let out a laugh. "I love you took, Apollo."

* * *

I avoid the accusing gaze of Aphrodite and instead focus on my drink. Wine straight from a vineyard in Italy. The gods have never been too happy about minors drinking alcohol so if anyone asks then I say that it is grape juice. It's not like I'm getting drunk or drinking irresponsibly, I just like quality wine. I'm sure that even Mr. D can respect that.

I feel a dip in the couch. I look to my left to see Artemis sitting next to me. She looks at my cup skeptically. "Rina, I never thought you for one to go against our rules against alcohol." With a flick of the wrist she changes my wine to actual grape juice.

I frown. "I wasn't doing anything bad. I was just enjoying a nice glass of Italian wine. High quality stuff too."

She narrows her eyes. "Has Dionysus been talking to you about wine lately?"

I shake my head. "Actually it was Hestia that gave me my first sip of wine."

Artemis frowns disapprovingly. "You are far to young to have a single drop of wine. But I did not come over here to criticize your choice of beverages. I came to talk to you. We haven't spoken very much since you were hunting alongside me and my Hunters."

"It's been a long time since then." I state.

Artemis nods. "It has, indeed. We would very much enjoy your presence again in our camp. Perhaps we can make your stay more permanent this time."

"No." I say. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

She raises an eyebrow. "And why not?"

I shrug. "Well I don't think Lord Zeus would be very happy about me being immortal and I also have that future love prophecy. I would hate for 'the one' to come around, only for me to tell him to go away because I pledged eternal maidenhood."

The edges of the goddess's mouth curves into an amused smile. "You are very wise for your age. We are all proud of the woman you are becoming." She stands up and holds a hand out to me. "Come. There is an entire party out there and I will not have someone as brilliant as you sitting in a corner. I would like you to meet some people and I may need your help with my brother. Apollo has never been one for drinking alcohol in moderation."

* * *

The rest of the night was filled with dancing and chatting. Artemis introduced me to several minor gods that I have never met before. We all had a great time. And when it was time to go, it was like the time when I had to leave Olympus. Apollo went into full sobs at me leaving again. I'm sure he was considering keeping me captive in his house just so that I won't leave him. Athena was close to tears but she didn't let a single one fall. Aphrodite didn't talk to me at all until I was ready to leave. When it was time, she was full of hysterics and muttering things like how much she loves me and stuff like that.

Chiron hands me a cup of hot cocoa which I take happily. Annabeth, Percy, and Grover are all shivering from standing outside but I'm perfectly fine standing in the snow drift. The rush inside and let out a sigh of relief when they are in front of the fire.

"You're back!" Ava exclaims. "Chiron had a huge hissy fit when he realized that you went to Olympus."

I raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

Ava smirks. "Really. He stomped his little pony hooves and everything." Chiron frowns at her, hearing every single word, but Ava doesn't seem to care. It's like she's in her own little bubble. "Now, come on."

She tugs me over to a girl that has the same colored hair as her and similar features. She has a dazed expression on her face and her hair crooked. There are several cuts on her face that are slowly healing. Saying that she looks like a mess is an understatement.

"Rina, this is my sister Clarisse." Ava exclaims with such excitement that it is clear that they are close.

Clarisse smiles at her sister but has a neutral expression when she looks at me. "Ava tells me that you're talented with a sword. If she's right, then I could use your help. It takes a lot to take down a Child of Ares so you have to be good."

I stand up straight and proud. "Help with what?"

"The Labyrinth." She lets out so soft that I barely catch it.

Chiron places a hand on my shoulder. "We will catch you up later. Now we will rest." He sends a pointed look towards Clarisse who looks unfazed.

"Luke is alive. Annabeth is right." Percy says finally. The room falls dead silent. At the party I heard about how Luke fell off a cliff to his supposed doom. Very few of the gods actually believe that it would all be over.

Annabeth sits up in her chair, looking very interested in what Percy has to say. "How do you know?"

Percy sighs. "My dad, Poseidon, said that he is still alive. He said something about the _Princess Andromeda_."

I shift uncomfortably in my chair. "Well, if the final battle is when Percy turns sixteen, at least there are still two more years to do something about it."

Annabeth nods. "Yeah, there is still time to figure something out."

Chiron sits in his wheelchair by the fire. The shadows the firelight casts on his face makes him seem incredibly old and gloomy. "Two years can seem like a long time but it can go by in a blink of an eye. Percy, I still hope that you are not the child in the prophecy. But if you are, then the second Titan's war is almost upon us, and his first strike will be here."

Percy glances around the room. "Why would it be camp?"

"Because heroes are tools." I say somewhat bitterly.

Chiron nods in agreement. "If you destroy the tools, the gods will be crippled. There is no doubt in my mind that Luke's forces will come here. We must be ready. Clarisse's news may give us a clue to how they will attack-"

Nico comes dashing into the room. His face is red from running and he is out of breath. He smiles and looks around the room anxiously. His face falls slightly when he doesn't see Bianca. "Where's my sister?"

I glance over at Percy with wide eyes. He has to be the one to tell him.

Percy stands up. "Nico, let's go take a walk."

* * *

We sit in silence when there is a loud cracking noise that sounds like the pavilion is being torn in half. I immediately grab my sword and run outside. Nico is stomping away while Percy is looking at the ground with a shocked expression. In the middle of the dining pavilion is a large crack that looks like a giant tore apart the ground with his bare hands.

"Percy! What happened?" I ask.

Percy snaps out of his trance. "He didn't take the news very well. These... skeletons were attacking us and he just sent them away somehow." I gasp. This confirms it for me if Percy is telling the truth. Nico is the son of Hades.

I look around us frantically. "Where is he?"

"I don't know, he just ran off."

I narrow my eyes at him. "And you just let him leave?" I push past him and run into the woods.

"Rina!" Percy runs after me but I quickly lose him since I am a much faster runner than him.

I take out the light Apollo gave me and turn it on. The dark forest is as bright as it would be in the middle of the day. I run past trees, through swamps, and through thorn bushes. I look like a mess but I have to help my friend. Mud is caked in my skin and probably my hair. There is dried blood on my arms and legs but the scratches have healed a long time ago. my shirt has tears in it that I'm sure weren't there before.

I stop to take a break when I see something crouched by a tree. I raise the light so that I can get a better look. It's Nico. He's pushed up against the tree. His eyes are red from crying and he has scratches on his arms from running through the woods.

"Nico." I breathe out in relief. I rush up to him. "Are you okay?"

Nico shakes his head. "Bianca is dead. Percy let her die!"

"No, he didn't-"

"Percy let her die! I hate him." He spits out. Nico starts to stand up but I keep him down with two steady hands.

"Where are you going?" I ask quietly.

He shrugs. "I can't stay here. I just can't. Not when he's here."

I nod in understanding. If I were him, I would be running as far from Percy as possible. I reach into my purse for a piece of paper and a pen. With slight hesitation, I write down the address to the entrance of the Underworld. I hand it to him.

"Go there. They will help you, probably." I tell him.

"What is this?" He asks. Nico takes the paper between his fingers. He stares at the address with wide eyes.

"The entrance to the Underworld. When you get there ask for Lord Hades. Don't talk to anyone else but Charon and Lord Hades. Promise me." I demand.

Nico looks at me with wide eyes. "I promise but why?"

I sigh. "I can't tell you why because it will just make everything more dangerous for you. If you knew why, then the monsters would find you easier. When you get there Lord Hades will explain it all to you, probably. I'm sorry, but this is the only place I can think of where you can be completely safe." I mutter, knowing that I could just be dooming him for a terrible life. Few people go to the Underworld on purpose and even fewer leave.

Nico nods. "Okay." He says bluntly.

I reach for my sword and shrink it down to a knife. I place it in his hands. "Take this. It should be perfectly balanced."

He stares at the knife, shocked, as if I just handed him the Holy Grail. "Rina, I can't."

I shake my head. "You need it more than I do. You will be out there with monsters while the only thing I will be doing is staying at camp. Touch the gem on the hilt to make the blade longer or shorter." I dig into my purse and hand him several stacks of drachmas. "Iris message me at least once a week. If you skip one, I will personally go to the Underworld to make sure you're safe."

Nico takes the coins and puts them in his sweatshirt pocket. "I will."

I lean in for a hug. "Stay safe."

He starts to stand up but then turns to me with weary eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because we're friends." I say without a single moment of hesitation. "Friends help each other."

Nico smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. "You are a good friend." He turns around and runs out of the woods.

That is the last time I saw him for a long time...


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed this story! I really appreciate your support! It makes me want to continue writing the story. I also have some French in this update. I'm not a native French speaker and just put it in Google translate. If I got it wrong, please tell me! Translation at the bottom.**

* * *

~~~JUNE~~~

I turn the page of my ancient Greek literature book roughly, tearing the corners slightly. Stupid Athena making me read borning things. If only she had assigned me something fun like the history of weapons past wars. That I would enjoy learning about. But instead, here I am, studying the language of love: French. It comes to me naturally since my mother is the Goddess of Love, but that doesn't make it any more fun to read. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely language, but it just doesn't interest me the slightest bit. Plus, it's pointless to force me to study the language since it's already hard-wired into my brain.

"Je préfère manier une épée que les mots." I mutter bitterly to myself. I can almost imaging Athena telling me that knowledge is just as important as any weapon. Then she would most likely go into a whole rant about how wisdom is knowing when to put down a blade and open your mouth.

I hear a cough but I don't look up. I know who it is and I don't want to talk to him right now.

"J'étais inquiet. Vous êtes en retard" I snap but the meaning of the words are lost to him.

"I have no clue what you just said. I don't speak French." Nico says.

I slam my book closed. Of course he wouldn't. All the times that I begged him to suffer right along side me as I studied, he would claim that he's busy and cut the Iris message before I could even say goodbye. I glare at him. He looks so much older than when I last saw him in person. His hair is longer, there are bags under his eyes, and he looks thinner. "Of course you wouldn't, and you never will." I tell him.

His eyebrows come together. "You're mad. Why are you mad?"

I scowl at him. It takes a lot of will power not to yell at him. "Do you know how worried I have been? I haven't heard anything from you in _two_ weeks. I thought that you were eaten by a monster or something."

"Sorry. I'm running low on drachmas and I need to save up just in case something happens." Nico answers. He looks genuinely sorry. My harsh exterior softens. Maybe I'm being to hard on him.

I tilt my head. "But isn't Hades the God of Wealth?"

Nico snorts. That's the closest to a laugh that I've heard from him in months. He holds up a pouch that holds his drachmas. There's only three left. "Yes he is. But as long as Persephone has something to say about it, I only get five drachmas a month and she still claims that he spoils me."

Ever since he left in the winter, we have kept in touch. I sent him in the direction of the Underworld so that he would be safe. Hades accepted him as his son, kind of. From what Nico tells me, he isn't the best father. Even by the gods' standards. Sometimes I regret ever telling him to go to the Underworld. It seems to just add more grief on top of him and Nico doesn't need that after Bianca's death.

Nico shuffles uncomfortably in the dirt. In the background I can see the River Styx. It looks filthier than usual. "So," he starts, "am I forgiven?"

As much as I want to stay mad at him for leaving me to assume the worst, I just can't. There's no way that I can stay mad at him. I casually open up another book that Athena wants me to read. "I forgive you. But if you think for a minute that I'm not still mad, then you are sorely mistaken, Nico di Angelo."

Nico nods. That seems good enough for him.

I glance up at him. "How are you doing?" My voice softens noticeably.

Nico shrugs. "Same as always." He mumbles bitterly. "Anything new about the labyrinth?" Nico changes the subject quickly.

I shake my head. "No. Clarisse and I are going to go back out and try to find the first entrance again."

Nico frowns. "You're not thinking about going in again, are you?" His dark eyes bore into mine.

I shudder slightly from the horrible memories. I hope that Nico doesn't notice. Unfortunately he does. "I'm not going in there again. Even if I wanted to, I know that Clarisse wouldn't let me." I tell him.

"Just be careful." He warns. I consider scoffing at him, but he has a point. During the spring Clarisse and I nearly got killed when we explored part of the Labyrinth. I didn't tell Nico all the details, but I think he has the general idea how bad it is down there. I had nightmares for a week afterwards and I know for a fact that Clarisse still has night terrors from the maze. Of course, she does a good job hiding them from everyone. I didn't even notice until she asked to borrow some concealer for the bags under her eyes.

I smile at the demigod. "I always am."

There is a pound on the door of the cabin. I see Nico raise his hand to get rid of the Iris message, but he hesitates. It just depends entirely on who is coming it. Ava pushes open the door with such intensity that I'm sure she busted a hole in the wall. Then she struts in like she is Aphrodite herself. She waves at Nico through the Iris message. Nico puts down his hand. Ava is the only person that knows that Nico and I have been talking. She knows that he's in the Underworld but she doesn't know who his father is. Ava is not really the question-asking type so she doesn't get too curious about what Nico is doing.

Ava turns to me. "Clarisse and Annabeth are looking for you." She says. Ava plops down on my bed next to me. She grabs several books, looks at the titles, frowns, then throws them towards the headboard on the bed. "How's it going, Nico Chico?" She asks with a chipper voice. Ava places her chin under her hands. With her pig tails and red, puffy cheeks, she looks more like a toddler than a teenager.

"Same as always, Ava." I give him a pointed look. Nico laughs but covers it up with a cough. "I mean _Avalanche_."

Ava scowls at him. She jabs a calloused finger at the demigod. "How dare you mention that. I thought we were friends."

Last winter Ava went on a quest a couple of weeks after Artemis returned to Olympus for the Solstice. Charles, Ava, and Kayla had to recover the statues of the Teumessian Fox and the dog Laelaps after they fell out the improperly closed trunk of Apollo's sun chariot after he had an accident with some very angry harpies. Apparently they do not like to be run over by blazing hot vehicles. Anyways, the statues were somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains. They had just recovered the statues when Ava managed to cause an avalanche. They spent hours sifting through the snow to find them again. Now people call her Avalanche as a joke.

"You have to admit that it's a fun nickname." Nico says.

I nod. "It just comes roll of the tongue naturally."

She smacks my arm. "This is your fault. If you didn't tell him about what happened then he would never have brought it up, thus reminding me of my past mistakes." Ava scoots over so that she has most of the bed. It's a miracle that I'm not already on the floor. I shove her off the bed with one push and reclaim the territory. She sits up on the floor with a scowl on her face. "Wow, someone's crabby." she mutters.

I close my books and place them in my purse. I then lean back to get several of the books that Ava threw. "I'm not crabby; you were just hogging the bed."

She smiles softly. "Oh, Bean. You're so small that there would've been plenty of room." I frown at her nickname for me. Apparently I'm as 'small as a bean' so Ava has been calling me Bean ever since the spring. It must be payback for me always calling her Avalanche.

I ignore her and face Nico again. "Are you coming back to camp this summer?"

Nico looks down at his hands. "I don't know. Maybe I'll visit but I'm not sure." He holds up my knife that I loaned him during the winter when he went away from camp. "I still have to give this back."

I smile. "I've missed you. I hope you visit camp sometime." Ava starts tapping an imaginary watch on her wrist. She taps her foot impatiently on the floor. "I have to go. See ya next week."

"Bye." He reaches up and slashes his hand through the message, cutting the connection.

She stands up and leans against the wall. Ava is about to say something but frowns. With a swift movement, she rips off a poster of a boy band off of the wall. She lets out a relieved sigh. "Much better. They're by the archery field, getting ready for the hearing."

I perk up. "Grover's hearing?"

Ava rolls her eyes. "That's the only hearing that's going on, so yeah."

"Bye Ava!" I yell as I run out of the cabin. By the time she responds, I am too far away. I run down the path at top speeds. There is no way that I'm going to be late for this. Grover has told the Council all about his experiences with the lost god Pan. Several of the Satyrs believe him, but most are skeptical.

My hair blows in my face and into my mouth. I groan to myself and force my hair into a tight bun on the top of my head. I hear a camper gasp, considering it's not everyday you see someone's hair fix itself into a bun mid-stride.

Clarisse stands awkwardly to the side. She smiles at me when I stop next to her, but she doesn't say anything.

Juniper, Grover's girlfriend is a nervous wreck. Annabeth rubs her back soothingly but it doesn't seem to calm her down. Poor Juniper hiccups and another wave of tears gush from her eyes like a waterfall.

Annabeth looks up in surprise. "There you are. We have to go now or we will be late for the hearing."

We all start going down a path, beaten by satyr hooves over the years, deep into the woods. It's in a completely different section than where the campers would play capture the flag, so this is completely new territory for me but the path is pretty straight forward so we won't get lost.

"What are your guy's plans for the labyrinth?" Annabeth asks. Juniper leans on her for support. She dabs her eyes with a small handkerchief. Juniper mutters something about being strong for Grover but stays silent for the most part.

Clarisse and I share a look. There is an unspoken communication between us. "We were planning to go into Manhattan and go back to where we found the entrance this weekend." Clarisse answers. "Maybe it can tell us where another entrance is."

Annabeth frowns. "Not likely. All the entrances to the labyrinth are different. I highly doubt that it would give you any clue where the next one is, but it's worth a shot. We don't really have any other lead unless you both..."She doesn't finish her sentence but Clarisse and I both know that she was about to suggest going back into the Labyrinth. Annabeth shakes her head. "Never mind. That's not a good idea. Especially after what happened last time."

We finally reach the area where the hearing will take place. There are three very large satyrs sitting on thrones made of rose bushes. Grover stands in front of them with an anxious expression on his face. He manages to smile slightly when he sees us, but other than that he is a nervous wreck. There is a circle of younger satyrs around him with stone cold expression. It's almost funny seeing them act so serious since only several hours ago I saw them skipping through the strawberry fields while singing camp songs.

Juniper lets out a hiccup of tears, but hides it so Grover doesn't get any more nervous. She quickly dabs any stray tears and attempts to make her face void of emotion. Somehow she is able to keep herself together fairly impressively but she's like a glass figurine. One wrong move and she will shatter.

"Let this Council meeting begin." A satyr on the far left side says. I never memorized their names and now I wish I had. It would make everything so much easier for me.

"Tell us, satyr, your story." The satyr in the middle commands.

Grover tells them all about Pan. The whole time his is nervously tapping his hoof and scrunching up the end of his t-shirt. He's probably going to make me mend it again since the Children of Aphrodite seem to have a knack for sewing or anything that has to do with clothes for that matter.

Chiron comes trotting into the clearing with Percy on his back. I look away quickly. This is the first time I've seen his since Nico ran off. I want to say that I don't blame him at all, but I do partially. Maybe if he said the news about Bianca more gently or tried to get Nico to understand then he wouldn't have run off so suddenly. But I know that it isn't completely Percy's fault. I'm sure that even if Percy tried harder to make him understand that Nico wouldn't listen. He's stubborn like Hades, even if he doesn't want to admit it.

He stands next to me and Clarisse. She mutters something underneath her breath but I don't know what she said. It was most likely an insult, though, considering her rough relationship with the Son of Poseidon.

"It's going terribly! Oh, my Grover." Juniper sniffles into a handkerchief. Small tears race down her face. She catches them in her handkerchief like she's crying rubies.

Annabeth pats her shoulders, but looks at a loss for words. "No, no. Grover will be fine, Juniper. He just will."

I glance up at Percy to see him staring at the wood nymph with a very confused expression on his face. I pinch his arm so that he will look at me.

"That's Juniper, Grover's girlfriend." I tell him in a low voice. Percy's eyes grow wide in surprise. Trust me, I was surprised too when I found out.

"Master Underwood!" A council member yells, interrupting Grover. His goat-like legs quiver underneath him. "Do you expect us to believe this story?" All the satyrs narrow their eyes at Grover at once. This only makes Grover more nervous.

Grover nods his head. "It's the truth!" He stammers out. Grover curls his fingers under the shirt. I hear a small rip. Good thing I have a sewing kit back in the chest by my bed.

The council member narrows his eyes. "Six months. For six months we have heard your claims that the god Pan spoke to you."

Grover's eyes widen. "But he did!"

A council member on the left scowls at him. "Impudence! Such scandalous claims!"

Chiron's lips fall into a straight line. "Maron, have patience." He says calmly, unlike the rest of the council.

Maron glares at the centaur. "Patience indeed! I am done with this foolish nonsense. As if the great god Pan would want to speak to _him_." His lips curl up in disgust at the sight of Grover.

Juniper throws down her handkerchief and starts to march over to the council. Clarisse and I hold her back while Annabeth blocks her view of the council.

"Wait. You have to pick your fights." I mutter.

Clarisse nods. "And this is the wrong one." Juniper manages to calm down but I still see the fire in her eyes. A look that says that they will all suffer the worst fate for doubting Grover. Maybe I was wrong about her being a glass figurine. She's definitely stronger than I give her credit.

Another council member clears his throat. He glares at us for making a disturbance. His eyes travel back to Grover. "We have indulged you for six months. We let you travel wherever you please. We allowed you to keep your searcher's license. We have waited long for solid proof of your claim. And what have you found, Master Underwood, on your six months of travel?"

"I just need more time!" Grover pleads. He's practically on his knees for the council.

"Nothing!" Maron interrupts. "You have found absolutely nothing!"

"But..." Grover starts but the council member in the middle holds up his hand to silence him.

Chiron leans in and says something to the council. They don't look very happy but they don't disagree.

Maron sighs. "Master Underwood, we will give you one last chance." He grits through his teeth.

Grover brightens up like a lightbulb. I'm surprised he isn't jumping up and down already. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"One more week." Maron says without emotion.

Grover's face falls in disappointment. "But sir! That's impossible! I need more time than that!"

The council members shake their heads at him. "You will only have one more week. After that, if you cannot prove you impossible claims, you will be forced to pursue another career. Perhaps tap dancing will suit you."

"But... sir! I can't lose my searcher's license! My whole life-"

"This meeting is adjourned!" The council interrupts. They all then go off to have their noonday meal, leaving Grover looking like a sad puppy.

Grover trudges over to Percy. He doesn't look up from the ground. "Hey Percy. That went well."

Juniper immediately jumps into action to cheer up her boyfriend. She wraps him into a huge hug. "Those stupid, old goats. Oh Grover, they just don't know how hard you have been trying!" Her face turns suddenly vicious. "If you want, I can force them to listen. Just give a large stick and they won't be able to say no." I back away slightly. It's off-putting to see gentle Juniper look so threatening.

"There is another option." Clarisse says darkly.

I nod in agreement. "Clarisse is right. You always could-"

Juniper interrupts me with a terrifying glare. She runs her hands through Grover's hair. Based on the content sigh Grover gives, it's calming him down. "No. No! I won't let you do it, Grover. Anything but that." Juniper cries out.

Grover pouts. "I'll think about it but we don't even know where to look."

Percy glances at each of us, looking for some sort of answer. "What are you guys talking about?"

Suddenly the conch horn sounds. It echoes throughout the woods. Percy isn't going to get his answer anytime soon.

"Cabin inspection is starting. We'll fill you in later." I reassure him.

Grover grabs my arm before I go back to my cabin. He looks down pointedly at the holes he made in his shirt. "Can you patch these holes for me later? This is one of my last good shirts. I kind of ate the other ones."

I nod. "Of course."

He manages to put on a small smiles. "Thanks Rina."

Juniper smiles. "Yeah, thanks! I will talk to the Stoll brothers about getting my Grover more shirts."

Grover blushes. "Ah, you don't have to do that for me."

Juniper kisses him on the cheek. "But I want to! Oh, Grover. You deserve the best shirts in camp."

I don't stick around to hear his reply, knowing that this will only lead to a kissing session. _That_ I do not want to watch.

* * *

I sweep the room with a broom one last time before inspection has started. Silena is the cabin inspector this afternoon and I know that she isn't lenient on the Aphrodite cabin. Even if a poor score dooms herself to cold showers.

I glance around the room. All these faces are foreign to me though they have been here for a week. They're my siblings but I only know half of their names, and that's only because Silena introduced them to me. None of them make an effort to talk to me. They all stay in their own personal cliques within the cabin. It's terrible. I'm pretty sure they all hate me. And this isn't me being melodramatic and pessimistic by just assuming that everything is out to get me. No, I'm positive that every Child of Aphrodite except Silena hates me. Every so often I hear them say terrible things about me. I can't call it 'talking behind my back' because they always make a point on letting me hear all the nasty things they say about me.

I sigh and push out the last clump of dirt with a broom. Silena is just a couple of cabins down and the Hermes cabin is still trying to get their cabin clean. They're throwing candy wrappers on the ground behind the cabin and stuffing clothes underneath their bed. I glance over at cabin 3. Percy's cyclopes brother, Tyson, has been cleaning the cabin non-stop today so maybe it isn't as terrible as it was during the winter when Nico and I broke in. Hopefully.

A girl who I believe is Drew sprays half a bottle of perfume around the room. I nearly gag on the scent while she breathes it in like it's the most wonderful smell in the world. It's like I'm being suffocated by flowers.

One of my half-brothers places a vase and a flower on the window sill. That will win us several points with Silena.

Silena peers into our cabin. She nods approvingly and marks something down on her clipboard. "Nice work guys, like always. Proud of all of you." Silena then moves on to judge the next cabin.

Several of my half-siblings giggle to themselves in a corner. I hear my name come up. Sometimes I think that they aren't even talking about me but randomly say my name loudly just to get to me. And if that's what they're doing, then it's working.

I sigh and take out a book. I might as well read before dinner comes and hopefully this will help me drown at their annoying voices.

* * *

They think I can't hear them talking about me. Or maybe the know that I can hear them and are doing this on purpose, just so they can see me upset. I mean, they're sitting on the other end of the Aphrodite table only a couple of feet away from me. Everyone can hear them.

They all let out a laugh. Silena shoots them a glare and they fall silent immediately. For a couple of moments they are completely silent, then they begin to whisper among themselves again.

Silenalooks ashamed by the way she is avoiding eye contact and staring at her dish of food. She fiddles around with her fork. "They're not usually like this." Silena mutters into her cup.

"Like what? Gossipy brats with nothing better to do than sit around and tan?" I comment.

Silena smirks. "Nobody can deny a good tan."

I take a bite out of my quesadilla. "I would rather have a good sword than a good tan any day. With a sword you can protect yourself. With a tan you get skin cancer."

Silena swallows the food in her mouth. "You know, there has never been a single documented case of a Child of Aphrodite getting skin cancer. Maybe we were just born to be golden brown."

I shrug. "Maybe."

She places down her cup with a bit of force. "But point is, they normally accept all of our siblings with open arms. I don't understand why they don't love you."

A boy with bright blonde hair leans over the table to whisper to his fellow siblings, looking at me from the corner of his eye. "Purple hair... not a true Daughter of Aphrodite... ridiculous." I hear him whisper but I only catch several words.

I stand up abruptly, making the table shake. This will stop now. There is no way that I will sit here listening to them talk about me.

I stalk over to the boy. My hand clench into a tight fist. The smirk on his face makes my blood boil.

"Yes, Aikarina?" He asks. Somehow he knows my name while he is still a faceless stranger to me.

I give him a sickening smile. "I would appreciate if you would stop talking about me." I grit through my teeth. The anger inside of me is just begging to be let out, and I might just let it unleash all of its fury on my half-brother.

He tilts his head. "I would appreciate it if you would stop being a waste of space. You know how they say that the gods never make a mistake? We all know that's not correct but the biggest proof against it is you. You're an unlovable mistake. Mother never loved you and never-"

My hand moves automatically into a strong fist. I don't even get a moment to think before my fist collides with his nose. There is a loud crack and a gush of blood flooding from his nostrils. Adrenaline rushes through my veins that masks the stinging in my hand. He looks at me in disbelief, but he can't say anything because I already punched him again.

The fight rushes through my veins and powers my anger. It rears its ugly head and prompts me to keep going, to show no mercy. He will not get away with acting so rude to me.

He falls from the table and onto the hard pavilion floor with a thud. Several of the Children of Ares are chanting my name, egging me on. As if I need any more encouragement to keep going. Their chants seem to fuel the fire and make the anger stronger. It was strong before, but now it's like a Titan, ruling my actions and controlling my thoughts like a dictator. My conscience tries to fight against it. It tries to tell me that this isn't right, but it's fighting a losing battle. It's like a fly fighting an elephant.

My actions are smooth and without thought. There is not a moment of guilt when I kick him with all my strength. It's like I'm in a trance, and each time my foot collides with his body I fall deeper and deeper into the dark depths of my mind. It isn't until I feel a strong pair of arms pull me back that I am fully aware of what I'm doing. Only then the Titan that is my anger is kicked off its throne and locked back in its cage.

I struggle to get out of his grip but Charles has me completely locked. There is no way to get out. All I can do is take deep breaths and relax.

"Let me go, Charles." I growl. I ache to get back to my brother and continue to beat him up. He is lying on the ground, groaning. Several of the Children of Apollo tend to his wounds. Two go back to get a stretcher from the Big House. The fact that I might've broken several bones gives me a sick sense of satisfaction and that terrifies me. This is exactly what my father warned me about all those years. The anger controlled me, and I let it. I didn't try to stop it. It's as if I handed it the key to my house then was surprised when it broke in.

"Calm down, Rina." Silena begs. Her face is bleach white with fear. "Do you know what you just did?" She asks in disbelief.

The weight of guilt comes crashing down. No, it's not because of my half-brother withering in pain. It's because of the disappointment on Silena's face. It's like she cannot believe that I would stoop so low. Her face looks exactly like I imagine my father's would look like if he was here.

Clarisse rushes up to me with a smirk on her face. I look around to see the other Children of Ares the exact same. I think Ava even gave me a thumbs up. It makes me feel justified in my actions, but then I look back at Silena and feel guilty again.

"You did the right thing." Clarisse tells me. She smiles at me with satisfaction.

"No she didn't, Clarisse. Violence is not always the answer." Silena snaps.

Clarisse raises an eyebrow. "Did you hear what they were saying about her? I say you should've done that a long time ago. Heck, if you didn't then I would've." She shrugs. Clarisse grips my shoulder. "You can let her go, Charles. I'll make sure she doesn't get in any trouble."

Charles hesitantly lets go of me. His hands linger on my arms, almost as if he expects me to attack my half-brother again. But when Silena nods at him, he steps away but still keeps a wary eye on me.

I look down at my hands. His blood is on my hands. "What was his name?" I ask Silena. For some reason it's bothering me that I can't place a name to the face. Maybe I just want to know who it was that I hurt.

She frowns. "Ralph Hampton. I know they were giving you a hard time, but I thought you were better than," she glances over at Clarisse. "_, that_."

Clarisse scowls at the Daughter of Aphrodite. "Better than a Daughter of Ares? You know, if she was my sister, the whole Ares cabin would be congratulating her for standing up for herself. She didn't just sit back and take it. No. She put a stop to it. She took matters into her own hands. I doubt that any of your so-called-siblings will dare talk like that in front of her again." She says smugly. Clarisse folds her arms across her chest and lifts her chin defiantly.

Chiron stands behind Silena. He frowns at me and looks incredibly worried. Somehow I know that he knows about the anger that I feel deep down. Chiron understands, but that doesn't mean that he approves. "Silena, as head cabin leader, you will be in charge for Aikarina's punishment since the conflict was just within Cabin 10. Be cautious that the punishment matches the crime." Chiron advises. He looks down at me with sad eyes.

Silena bites her lip in thought. "Chiron, I don't think that is the best idea. I can't make a decision like that."

He shakes his head. "Nonsense, child. You told me yourself that you wish to become a strong leader. This is one of the difficult jobs that come with being in charge."

Silena looks down at the ground then back up at me. "You must apologize to Ralph and you are responsible for extensive cleaning Cabin 10 every single day for the next month. You also will be in charge of cleaning the showers for the rest of the week."

Clarisse looks up at the Centaur in disbelief. "Rina shouldn't be punished for this! All she was doing was standing up for her herself!"

Chiron's lips form a straight line but he doesn't say anything more on the subject. He walks away to let Silena handle the rest of the situation. Silena narrows her eyes at her. "Yes, she does. You can't just go beat up everyone who says something bad about you. She's not like you." She spits out.

Clarisse clenches her fist and I'm sure she's feeling something that I only know too well. "What do you mean 'she's not like you'? Huh, Barbie?"

Silena takes a step closer. The tension in the air multiplies. Out of the corner of my eye I see Charles tense for a fight. "She's not a Daughter of Ares. She's _not_ a terrible person like you!"

Clarisse is about to swing a right hook when I step in between them both. I glare at Silena. "You don't know me. You know things about me, but you don't really know me. The Children of Ares are not terrible people and honestly, I seem to relate to them more than my own siblings." I glare at Clarisse. "Do you want to be punished also? I don't think Chiron would go as easy on you even if you're a cabin leader."

She growls but backs down with a huff. Despite the threat of a fight gone, Clarisse still looks like she wants to tear Silena's throat out and Silena looks like she is ready to stab Clarisse. All the while this is happening, I can't help but think where on earth Chiron is!

My sister leans forward so that Clarisse can hear her better. "Go to the crows!" She curses. Silena lets out a frustrated groan then stomps away from us. She mutters something about the Children of Ares brainwashing her sister.

Clarisse places a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, if things get too rough, there are a couple of spare beds in the Ares cabin. You've proven yourself to us so no one will have any problems. And if they do, then they will have to mess with me and Ava."

I smile at her. Lately I have been thinking of her as a friend, and her actions have proven that to me. "Thanks but I don't want them to think that I'm running away from them."

Clarisse nods in approval. "You're braver than a lot of people out there. Don't forget that, Rina." Her eyes twinkle with appreciation.

I smile at her complement. "Race you to the lake?"

She narrows her eyes. "You're on!" Suddenly she pushes me to the ground and runs as fast as she can.

"Cheater!" I yell as I get up. As soon as my feet are back under me, I run after her as fast as I can.

It's moments like these where I wish that I told Chiron that I wanted to stay in the cabin for the Children of Ares. I don't belong there, but I fit in in the Ares cabin more than I ever will in the Aphrodite cabin.

* * *

**Je préfère manier une épée que les mots. = I would rather wield a sword than words.**

**J'étais inquiet. Vous êtes en retard = I was worried. You're late.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you everyone who has followed/favorited/reviewed this story! I really appreciate the support. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the Percy Jackson series.**

**I'm going to address this since I got a guest review awhile ago and they were confused about how Rina is more powerful than your average halfblood. That's because of simple genetics. Everyone gets half of their genes from each parent. Aphrodite gave her 50% of godly DNA. Tyler was a demigod so he was 50% god and 50% mortal. Since Tyler gives Rina half of his DNA, she got 25% god and 25% mortal from him to a grand total of 75% god and 25% mortal. She isn't quite a demigod or a complete god. **

**That doesn't make a ton of sense but I hope that this clears things up for you. If it doesn't then I can try to explain it better. This was pretty much how I got my idea for this story of what would happen if a demigod has a child with a god.**

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

"Wake up." Someone whispers into my ear. Their breath smells like onions mixed with mints. I wrinkle my nose but continue to pretend I'm asleep.

I keep my eyes close and slowly move my hand to the knife I keep underneath my pillow. It has become a habit ever since the Stoll brothers have started to pull pranks at me in the middle of the night. One night in the spring I had to defend myself against a bat that they set loose in the room. Sure, a bat is not much compared to the other monsters I have fought, but it was still terrifying. The fact that Silena kept screaming bloody murder for me to kill it added to the fear factor.

I grip the hilt of the blade. It's smooth to the touch like my other knife that I lent Nico.

"Wake up!" the person whines, this time being more forceful. The voice is familiar. It sounds like Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin.

I open my eyes a crack to see several people from the Apollo cabin staring down at me. Lee, Michael, Will, Austin, and Kayla. On their backs they have quivers and their bows ready. In the dark they look like Artemis's Hunters, if you ignore the fact that there's several boys. They have the same proud posture and ready stance.

Lee smirks at me. He holds out a spare bow to me which I reluctantly hold. "Wanna go kill some Aethiopian Drakon?" He wiggles his eyebrows. He then tosses a quiver full of arrows on my bed.

I rub my tired eyes. Maybe I didn't hear that right. "What are you talking about?" I ask.

Lee rolls his eyes. "You know, a really long lizard with-"

I shake my head. "I know what an Aethiopian Drakon is, Lee." I Interrupt.

He lets out a chuckle. "It's been spotted by the border, and since you need help with your archery, this is the perfect practice!" The other children from Apollo nod eagerly.

"Plus, after seeing what you did to Ralph Hampton, that just proves that we need you on our side." Austin says. Lee punches him in the arm to shut him up.

I glance up at Lee, completely ignoring Austin's comment. My eyes grow wide in the dark. "Are you kidding me? Why don't I just practice tomorrow with a bullseye?"

Lee shrugs. "You're so bad at archery that it's laughable. We think that it's a mental block."

I raise an eyebrow. "A mental block?"

He shrugs again. The arrows on his back knock together because of his movement. "Yeah. We've seen you go crazy with a sword on the monsters in the woods but you only do average sword moves on a test dummy. Our theory is that it has to be a moving, breathing monster for you to be able to attack it right."

I open my mouth to tell them to get out of the cabin, but it makes sense. I can't seem to do any complicated sword moves against the test dummies. But when I'm in front of a living opponent, I can swing my sword however I want. Despite my gut telling me to go back to bed, I get up, put on my shoes and follow the Children of Apollo out of the cabin. Luckily for us, none of my other half-siblings wake up. Gods know how crabby they would be if I of all people woke them up.

The morning air is cooler than usual. It's a nice change after all the hot afternoons we have had. A thin layer of fog covers the ground. It swirls around our feet slowly.

Several harpies let out a screech, as predicted, but I have a feeling that Chiron told them not to eat anyone so that the Apollo cabin can take care of the Aethiopian Drakon. The only other sounds are our controlled breathing and the occasional owl.

Lee points towards a spot around the border with one hand. He gestures around in a circular motion to tell us that we will circle the entire camp until we find the monster.

We run right outside of the border, careful not to go over it. If we pass the invisible barrier, then we are at the Drakon's mercy. We all keep an arrow ready to shoot but surprisingly we don't see it anywhere. The closest thing to a Drakon that we found is a small salamander in the rocks which scared Lee half to death when it crawled over his foot.

A tidal wave of shadows rushes towards us. I look up to see a dark figure blocking the full moon from my vision. It slithers out of the dark on its beefy legs. Its teeth flicker in the moonlight and its bright, amber eyes are mesmerizing. I find myself unable to look away. It's like they have a hold on me. The Drakon opens its mouth and roars. Like an alarm clock wakes up a sleeper, the roar breaks me out of the trance.

It charges towards us but is stopped by an invisible force. The air ripples around the boundary of the camp but doesn't show any sign of letting the monster through. The Drakon grunts in frustration but continues to fight its way to us even though there is no chance of it getting through.

"Rain some arrows on this monster!" Someone shouts. The Children of Apollo scream their own personal war cries. It's a symphony of shrieks. Arrows fly expertly from their bow into the target. They're so graceful compared to me fumbling to get an arrow out of my quiver. Shooting a bow comes so naturally to them. A bow is just merely an extension of their soul outside of their body.

Deep down I yearn to be as good as them as archery just so that I could express a small part of myself when I shoot an arrow. Every time I that I would take aim at my target, everyone around me would see a sliver into my personality. They would see me for who I am. An archer. I would finally have a label that I could stick onto myself. There would finally be somewhere that I could truly belong. But that is only a whimsical dream that will never come true considering that every time I shoot an arrow, I completely miss my target.

My arrow flies several feet away from its leg. I grit my teeth to keep myself from cracking the bow in half.

Kayla shoots an arrow right in its neck. The arrow is lets out an array of sparks that eat away at the Drakon's scales. It hisses at her in pain. She smiles in my direction. "Come on, Rina. You can do it! Just focus." She says.

I scowl at the arrow. If it was a sword then this would be much more fun. I shoot several more arrow but they miss completely. Somehow I am able to miss a large lizard not even twenty feet away from me.

Lee comes next to me. I pull back the arrow and he critiques my technique. He pokes my arms to make them straighter and has me pull back the string further. He nods in approval and lets me release the arrow. Even with his help I miss the huge monster.

Lee smirks at me. "Come on, you can do it! Just pretend that it's Ralph instead of a giant monster."

I draw my mouth into a stern line. This seems to make me incredibly focused, just by imaging Ralph's smirking face in the place of the Aethiopian Drakon's head. I pull back the string and land the arrow right in its neck. It's off from where I was aiming but at least I hit the monster!

The Children of Apollo let out a cheer. Their happy voices remind me of Apollo so much. There is no doubt in my mind that they are his children. I pull back my arrow and hit the monster again and again. By the time the Aethiopian Drakon retreats into the woods, I am out of arrows and a smile is plastered on my face.

Will slings his arm around my shoulder. "See, now we all expect you to hit the bull's eye this afternoon." He says casually. Will slings his bow over his shoulder with a smug expression.

I pull his arm off me and roll my eyes. "Like that's going to happen. Unless you get Ralph or any of my other horrible half-siblings to stand in front of the target, I don't think I'll hit it."

Will taps my nose while making a 'boop' sound. "Nah, eventually you will get this and you'll be shooting arrows as good as Apollo."

* * *

I spent most of the morning waxing the floor, making beds, and throwing out garbage. It seems like everyone in the Aphrodite cabin made it their personal goal for me to clean up as much of their junk as possible. Chocolate wrappers litter the floor, someone's laundry is thrown around the cabin, and someone's stinky shoes lies under their bed. Despite me aching to give them a piece of my mind about picking up after themselves, I still clean up everything like Silena told me I had to. Plus, I dug my grave when I attacked Ralph. Now I have to pay the price.

The last of the candy wrappers falls from my hand and into the waste basket. Done at last. I already missed the beginning of breakfast. If I run to the pavilion then at least I will be able to get something to eat instead of starving until dinner.

I arrive at the pavilion to see the Aphrodite table full. There are wood nymphs and satyrs clogging up the open seats. They seem uncomfortable here but the my other siblings make sure they stay seated. Silena looks uncomfortable with this whole thing. When she sees me, she tries to usher a wood nymph from her spot but she doesn't budge. Drew manages to keep her sitting down.

Silena hands me a plate and goblet. She tries to smile but it looks more like a grimace. "Sorry, Rina. Erica invited the wood nymphs to eat with us and they didn't leave a spot for you. Maybe we can get one to move." She wonders out loud.

The girl who must be Erica twirls her gorgeous blonde curls between her fingers. It would be a shame if someone snipped them off with a pair of scissors.

"Oops. I guess I just invited one too many." She says with fake remorse. Erica laughs nervously. She glances around the table as if looking for back-up in case I punch her like I punched Ralph. Great. They're all afraid of me. As much as I dislike all of them, except for Silena, it still hurts that my own half-siblings are afraid that I will randomly sock them in the face.

I hear a loud, obviously fake cough. I look up to see Annabeth patting the seat next to her. I smile at Silena. She's kind enough to almost push someone off of the bench for me. She's a great sister compared to the others. If only there were more people like her.

"Thanks Silena, but I'll just sit at the Athena table." I tell her.

Her eyes grow wide. "But the camp rules-"

I shrug. "Well, Athena herself told me that her cabin is always open to me so I don't think she'll mind me sitting with her children at her table." I leave a confused Silena behind and take a seat next to Annabeth. Several of her siblings glance over but they don't say anything. It's seems that Annabeth already convinced them that it is best for me to sit with them.

Annabeth glances over at my siblings when they let out a loud laugh. Silena is the only one who isn't amused. Annabeth frowns disapprovingly.

"They're giving you a hard time?" She asks. Annabeth bites her bottom lip thoughtfully.

I clench my hands together at the thought of my half-siblings. "Kind of, but it's not too bad. I can handle it."

Annabeth raises an eyebrow. "Like you handled Ralph?" She sees the hesitation in my face. "The way you handled it was wrong. It was very... unwise for you to attack your brother like that. But honestly, if I were you, I probably would've done the same thing if my siblings were talking about me like that. I'm not sure if I could handle them gossiping about me so much. Why are they treating you like that?"

I pause. It has never occurred to about why they are so horrible to me. For all I know, they might have a legitimate reason to hate me. I shrug half-heartedly. "I have no clue. I wish I knew."

She glances at me with bright, curious eyes. "My mother came to me in a dream. She told me to welcome you to our table." Annabeth says, effectively changing the subject.

My mouth curves into a smile at the fact of Athena looking out for me. "That's really kind of her."

Annabeth takes a bite out of her apple. She swallows quickly. "What I'm wondering is why Athena would be concerned about a Daughter of Aphrodite." She muses.

I consider my next words for a moment. "I'm going to be honest, she's practically like a mother to me."

Her eyebrows come together in confusion. She opens her mouth to ask a question but snaps it shut. Annabeth looks very, very confused.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Grover sit in a spot next to Percy. Annabeth sees it to, and the moment Chiron leaves the dining pavilion, Annabeth moves into action. She grabs my hand and drags me over to the Poseidon table. She sits right next to Percy while I sit next to Grover.

Annabeth leans in. "I'll tell you what it's about. The Labyrinth." She answers, most likely to an answer Percy asked that I didn't hear. Her eyes seem to light up every time she talks about it. The Labyrinth is one of the most impressive Greek structures ever made. And since architecture is a passion of Annabeth's, it's no wonder that she is fascinated with the maze.

Percy glances between Annabeth and me. "You guys aren't supposed to be here." He says but it sounds more like a question.

I roll my eyes. "This is important."

Annabeth nods. "We have to talk." She insists.

"But the rules," Percy starts but when he sees Annabeth's stern look, he shrinks down in his seat. "Never mind."

"Grover is in trouble and there's only one way we can think of to help him. Clarisse, Rina, and I have investigated everything there is to know about the Labyrinth. This might be his only shot." Annabeth rushes out. She taps her fingers on the table impatiently.

Percy brings his lips together in concentration. "The Labyrinth. That's where the minotaur was kept in the old days."

I nod. "That's it."

Percy turns to me. "So obviously it's not under the king's palace in Crete right now. It must be under some building in America."

Annabeth and I both look at each other. At the same time we break out in fit of girlish giggles that neither of us knew we were capable of. Percy looks somewhat offended while Grover just wants to melt in his seat from the mere thought of going into the maze. Annabeth takes in a deep breath and quickly controls her laughter. "The Labyrinth is humongous, Percy. It wouldn't fit under a single city, much less a building. I wouldn't be surprised if it went across the whole continent." She tells him.

Percy still looks confused. "So is it a part of the Underworld?"

I sigh. "No, of course not." I pause slightly. My lips form tiny frown as I think of the many possibilities. "Actually there might be some passages that lead to the Underworld but it's not a direct part of the Underworld."

Annabeth purses her lips. "That makes sense but the Underworld is way, _way_ down. The Labyrinth is only at the surface. Almost like a second skin that has been growing for thousands of years. It all connects together and weaves under cities and such. You can go anywhere through the Labyrinth."

Grover cups his face in his hands. "If you don't get lost or die a painful death." Grover mutters through his fingers.

I place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Annabeth looks at him in pity. "Grover, there has to be a way. Clarisse and Rina lived." She tells him.

Grover's eyes widen. He slams his hands on the table. "Barely! They both came back stumbling to camp with a hoard of monsters on their tails muttering something about the walls shifting! Clarisse almost died of dehydration!" I close my eyes and shudder at the memories that I have worked so hard to blot out. Clarisse and I went into the labyrinth and barely got out. It messed with us and we luckily got out with our lives. Few people are as lucky as us to escape. "And the other guy is... is..." Grover stutters in despair.

I push aside all the terrible memories of the Labyrinth. Now is not the time to mentally relive the nightmares. "He was driven to insanity. He didn't die." I remind him.

Grover's lip quivers in fear. "Thanks, Rina. That makes me feel a bunch better." He says sarcastically.

Percy holds up his hand. "Hold up. Who's this insane guy?"

Annabeth and I instinctively glance over at the Ares table. Clarisse is staring at us with knowing eyes. She nods as if to tell us to tell them everything then she looks back down at her untouched plate. She has dark circles under her eyes again. I will have to talk to her later and ask it she's still having night terrors. If she is, then maybe Chiron will have something to help her.

Annabeth leans in closer so that no one will overhear. "Last year, Clarisse went on a special mission for Chiron. It was secret because she found Chris Rodriguez."

"The guy from the Hermes cabin?" Percy blurts out louder than necessary. I glare at him so that he quiets down.

Annabeth nods slowly. "Last year he just appeared right by Clarisse's mom's house in Phoenix. Completely bizarre. She's lives in the middle of the desert. Nearest town is a half-hour away."

Percy lowers his voice. "What do you mean by 'just appeared'? People just don't appear out of nowhere."

I open my mouth to tell him differently. I want to tell them about the time I made myself appear in Olympus, which I still have no clue how to do, but I decide to keep my mouth shut. Once I know how to do it then I will tell them.

"He was just walking around in the desert in over hundred heat. He was in full Greek armor and mumbling stuff about a string." Annabeth whispers.

"String?" Percy asks.

"He was insane." I answer. "Completely out of it. So Clarisse brought him back and nursed him back to health. Chiron came out to Phoenix to interrogate him but it really didn't do anything. He wouldn't say anything but that Luke's men are exploring the Labyrinth."

I can see in Percy's eyes that he is connecting the dots but there is one piece still missing. "Why would they be exploring the Labyrinth?" He asks quietly.

Annabeth, Grover, and I all share a look of concern. We all are fearing the same thing. Annabeth clears her throat. "We weren't sure, and we aren't too sure right now, but we have an idea." She says reluctantly. "That's why Clarisse and Rina went on a scouting mission right after Chiron talked to Chris. Chiron kept things pretty much under wraps because people would panic if they knew. I'm involved because the Labyrinth is one of my favorite subjects." Her face flushes a light pink. "The architecture involved in it... Daedalus was a genius. The amount of intelligence it would take to design something that impressive. But the point is that there are entrances to the Labyrinth are everywhere. If Luke were to figure out how to maneuver through it..." Annabeth trails off.

"Except, it's a maze. Right?"

Grover groans. "Full of terrifying traps and even more terrifying monsters. Dead ends. Illusions. Spikes. Goat-eating creatures." He shivers visibly in his seat. "Incredibly dangerous."

I hold up a finger. "Not if you have Ariadne's sting. That string guided Theseus out of the maze just fine. It was an invention created by Daedalus. It's a navigation device for the maze and it makes perfect sense since Chris was talking about a string." I answer. Annabeth nods in approval. All of this info I learned from her. She really is well-educated about the Labyrinth.

"Luke is trying to find Ariadne's string." Percy says to no one in particular. He glances at each of us. "Why? What could he be planning?"

Annabeth shakes her head. "I really don't know. At first Rina and I thought that he wanted to invade camp but the closest entrance is in Manhattan."

"That wouldn't make any sense." I interrupt. "He wouldn't be able to get into the borders but maybe it can help with moving troops faster. That is definitely an advantage in a time of war."

Annabeth nods. "Clarisse and Rina explored a little into the tunnels and nearly got killed. They're lucky that they got out in one piece. I have spent so much time researching as much as I can about Daedalus but I can't find anything that could be really useful in telling us what Luke is planning. But there is one thing I know: it could be the answer to Grover's problem."

Percy blinks at the Daughter of Athena. "You think that Pan is underground?"

I shrug. "It would explain why he is so hard to find. I don't think that any satyr would dare go into the Labyrinth so that's why Pan hasn't been found."

Grover gulps. "No one in their right mind would. Satyrs hate everything that has to do with underground. No searcher would ever, _ever_ search that place."

Annabeth tilts her head. "But it can lead you almost anywhere. The place reads your thoughts. It's designed to fool you and to mess with your mind. It's the perfect trap. It molds to the individual person. But if we can make it work for us then the possibilities are endless!"

"It could lead you right to the lost god." Percy says quietly.

Grover looks like he's going to be sick. He shakes his head wildly, like there is water in his ear. "I can't do it! I can't go into the labyrinth. Just thinking about it makes me want to puke all over the pavilion."

I turn the satyr to face me. His eyes are wide with fear. "This is pretty much your only chance! The council is serious. You have to bring proof otherwise your searcher's license will be taken away. One week or you're learning how to tap dance." I threaten. This seems to knock some sense in him but he is still against the idea.

Quintus, a talented swordsman here at Camp Halfblood to help us with our fighting skills, clears his throat. He makes a point to look at Annabeth and me. His eyes shift back to where we should be sitting, then back to us.

I sigh. "We should go before Quintus says something."

Annabeth nods. She squeezes Percy's arm, maybe a little too tightly because he winces slightly. "We'll talk later." She throws a glance Grover's way. "Convince him, will you?" She lowers her voice noticeably.

I get up with Annabeth right behind me. We both walk back to the Athena table. Quintus seems to approve of this arrangement because he doesn't say anything to me about going back to the Aphrodite table. Something tells me that he knows about my half-siblings.

Annabeth sets her chin in her hands. Her eyes light up with the pursuit of knowledge. "So, tell me about this Aethiopian Drakon I keep hearing about." Several other Children of Athena lean in to eavesdrop. Lee told us all about it earlier, but I'm sure they're all curious of another perspective.

I smile. "Well, first the eyes..."

* * *

I shift uncomfortably on each foot. Silena crosses her arms across her chest. She narrows her eyes dangerously, daring me to go against her.

I clear my throat. "Maybe I should do this some other time." I start to leave but Silena blocks my way. She's taller than me, especially in heels, so it's like trying to get around a very tall brick wall that keeps moving in front of you.

She jabs a sharp finger towards me. "Remember that this is part of your punishment. You _have_ to apologize to him." Silena reminds me.

I hold up the box of chocolates and flowers that Silena is forcing me to give to him. "But do I really have to give-"

She holds up her hand to silence me. "Yes. The flowers and chocolates are a much needed peace-offering." Her expression softens. "You're doing the right thing by apologizing. Don't forget that."

I let out a sigh. It's now or never. I'm sure that my pride will get the best of me and won't let me apologize if I push this off until later. If Ralph is ever going to hear me say sorry to him, it's now while I still feel guilty under Silena's gaze.

The anger deep inside of me roars in outrage as I walk into the infirmary. 'Why should I have to apologize? He's the one who was rude to me. He had it coming.' these thoughts dash through my head. The devil sits on my shoulder, whispering more things like that in my ear. For a second I feel as angry as I did as I was yesterday. I mentally shake my head. No. I'm going to suck up my pride and do what needs to be done.

"Ralph? It's me, Rina." I say to the lump under several piles of blankets. Ralph glances over to me. His nose is bent oddly and he has two swollen, black eyes. He looks like a mess.

I'm sure if his eyes weren't almost swollen shut, then he would be narrowing them at me. "I know who you are." He sneers. He doesn't seem the least bit afraid of me. "Are you going to beat me up again? 'Cause I'll yell."

I shake my head. "No.. I..." The rest of the apology plays in my head but doesn't come through my mouth. It's like someone pressed the mute button.

I place the 'peace offerings' next to his bed. His dark green eyes light up at the sight of chocolate. The moment I set them down, he's clawing at the packaging. Ralph inhales the chocolates faster than I have ever seen anyone eat in my entire life. He's a vacuum sucking up the dust bunnies that are the chocolates.

Ralph looks up at me in surprise, as if he can't believe that I'm still here. His sharp glare softens when he brings another piece of chocolate to his lips. "What?" He sneers. Ralph accidentally spits out some chocolate as he speaks.

I frown at his tone. "I came to apologize. I'm really sorry that I beat you up. Even if you did deserve it for being rude to me." I rush out.

"That's an apology?" He says in disbelief.

I clench my fists. "I apologized, didn't I?" I lash out. I suck in a deep breath. What's wrong with me? I came to apologize and instead I insult him even more. I'm just as bad as my half-siblings are if I treat Ralph this way. I sit down on the chair next to the bed and put my face in my hands. Ralph stares at me curiously. "Look, I'm really sorry." I say calmer than usual. "I... I have problems."

Ralph lets out a snort. "Yeah you do." I glare at him. He raises his hands innocently. "What? You have insane anger issues. Don't even try to deny it."

As much as I want to argue with him, he's right. I surprise both of us by laughing. "Yeah, and it doesn't help that my pride gets in the way of everything."

Ralph shrugs. "That's a problem for every single Child of Aphrodite. We all are insanely self-confident." He sighs. "Because I am an incredibly forgiving person, I accept your apology. Just don't let it happen again." He jabs his finger in my direction.

I start to get up to leave, but then my curiosity gets the best of me. Ralph raises an eyebrow when he sees me standing near the door. "I don't blame all of you for hating me now, but why did you hate me when you first met me? I did nothing to you and you all just starting acting terribly to me." I ask.

Ralph's eyebrows come together in confusion. It seems that he doesn't even know the answer himself. "I don't know. You're different, though. I guess we can just sense that you don't belong." He says with unblinking eyes. "You're not completely like us, are you?"

Do they sense that I have a sliver of Ares is me? If they can, then that amazes me that they can pick out a difference like that so easily. Instead of answering him, I turn and walk away. He's right. I don't truly belong with them. I'm not like them and I never will be.

* * *

I connect the last strap on my armor. It fits perfectly. In the early spring I asked Hephaestus for some armor and was brutally turned down. However, Charles overheard me talking to Ava about it and he made a full set of armor for me! It was very kind of him but I think that it might've only been because I'm Silena's sister.

I feel a hand clasp on my shoulder. My instincts scream at me to fight back but it's only Ava.

She narrows her eyes dangerously towards my siblings. One of them looks me right in the eyes then turns back to her siblings. Suddenly they all laugh like she is the best comedian in the world.

"They're still talking, aren't?" Ava asks.

I grit my teeth. "Probably." My hand wavers on the hilt of my sword.

She looks at me with a hard expression. "Just so you know, all the Ares cabin is by your side. After the fight yesterday and the fact that you're friends with Clarisse and me, they will defend you like their own."

I smile despite the irritation I feel towards Ralph. "That means a lot to me."

Ava shrugs like it's nothing when in fact it means the world. "We always defend what's ours. If they ever do anything more than talking, you'll tell me, right?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Sure, but I doubt that will ever happen. Most of them don't even have their armor on right, so I don't think they're capable of anything but verbal abuse."

Ava tilts her head in consideration. She examines each of my half-siblings carefully. Very few have their armor on correctly. More often than not, their breastplates are lopsided and their helmets are too big.

Quintus steps forward. Mrs. O'Leary bounds happily behind him, rattling the extra armor set on the nearby tables. Each step is a minor earthquake. "Listen up!" He yells over us. We fall silent to listen to what he has to say. "You will be in teams of two… which I have already chosen."

There is a loud groan from all the people who started to grab their friends. Quintus looks amused at this and tries to hide his laughter.

"The goal is simple: get the golden laurels. It is wrapped in a silk package and is tied to the back of one of the monsters I released into the woods. There are a total of six monsters. Each one has a silk package but only one has the laurels. To get it, you will have to slay the monsters, of course." Quintus explains.

Ava bounces up and down with a huge smile on her face. "This sounds like so much fun!" She exclaims.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't as excited as her, I just keep it better hidden. "It sure does, Avalanche." I say with a cheeky smile.

Ava scowls at her nickname. "Yes sirree, Bean. Sounds like we will have a fun night." The mention of my terrible nickname wipes the smirk right off of my face.

"I will now announce your partners. There will be no complaining, switching, swapping, or trading. Am I clear?" Quintus glances at us all. Several people nod their heads so Quintus takes it that everyone understands. He takes out a large scroll the has a list of our names on it. "Charles Beckendorf with Silena Beauregard, Travis Stoll and Conner Stoll, Clarisse La Rue and Lee Fletcher, Ava Kettle and Aikarina..." Quintus pauses. He glances at me. "What's your last name? I don't have it written down."

I shuffle my feet on the dirt. "I don't have a last name." I hear several snickers but Quintus silences them with a quick glare. I expect him to keep prodding but fortunately he doesn't. Instead he just keeps naming off people.

When he calls Annabeth and Percy together, they share a look. Deep down in my gut I feel a little spark that I never would've noticed if I hadn't been looking at the two. It's like love, but not quite. More like a crush that can blossom into beautiful love. Suddenly I feel like my mother: all giddy and wanting everyone to fall in love at once. I'm almost as excited for the two of them to get together as I am to fight the mysterious monsters in the woods.

Quintus clears his throat. "You have all night, so no pressure. But once the laurel is found, the game will end immediately and you all must report back here. If there are monsters left over in the woods, we will send a small party of three out in the morning to take care of them. Best of luck."

Everyone rushes into the woods. All the groups start out together but slowly we spread out to guarantee fighting the monsters ourselves. Ava and I are a distance away from each other so that we can cover more ground. We stay within shouting distance in case something happens. Neither of us know what to expect.

She stops suddenly. Ava glances up at me and whistles for me to come over. As quietly as I can, I run over to her to see what she found. Tracks. There are marks in the dirt that looks like a monster with a lot of legs came through here.

"What do you think it is?" I wonder aloud.

Ava shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine. We should stay closer together, though. Whatever Quintus released has to be huge." I nod in agreement. Ava seems much calmer now than before. The anticipation of a fight must be keeping her from bouncing off of the trees with excitement.

We walk practically back to back, always checking over our shoulders. I hear a rustle of leaves and think it's nothing, that is until I hear it again but much closer. I close my eyes so that I can listen closer. There is another rustle and the faint shuffling of feet.

"Something's following us." I hiss.

Ava nods but doesn't look behind us. "What should we do?"

I think of the battle strategies that I went over with Athena many, many times. "One of us should be the bait and guide it to us while the other comes up behind it. I'm smaller and wearing lighter armor so I should distract it. I can avoid it faster." I decide. Ava seems to agree with the plan because she doesn't add anything to it or disagree.

She points towards a bunch of bushes. "I'll hide behind that while you guide it out." Ava goes behind the bush to wait for the perfect moment to attack the monster.

I walk forward slightly, being sure to stomp loudly. The monster sounds to be closer and closer by the second. It has to be able to hear me.

"Hey, monster! You out there?" I yell. There is a loud cracking of wood then a large scorpion comes into the clearing. Its outer shell shines like our armor and its barbed stinger is as long as a warrior's sword. The scorpion snaps its pinchers several times, as if it can't wait to take the life out of me. "Wow, that's big." I gasp.

It rushes towards me surprisingly fast. Ava jumps out from behind and slashes her sword through its tail. The sword hits it like it would hit cement. The outer shell chips off in several pieces. Ava swings at the exposed flesh. This time the sword goes right through. Instead of falling into a pile of ash, the tail falls off. The scorpion hisses at her.

I smack it with my sword and a chunk of its shell comes out of its side. Ava blocks its pinchers with ease. It is fast, but not fast enough to get us. The scorpion backs away from us while snapping its pinchers. It swipes its claw at me but I roll out of the way.

There is a loud clang when my sword and the pinchers collide. It keeps pushing against me with an enormous amount of strength. Ava slices its claw with her sword while it's completely occupied with me. Its fatal mistake was forgetting that Ava was here. I take the opportunity to stab it right between the plates on its back to get to its body. The scorpion crumbles into piles of dust and ash.

Ava lets out a cheer. "Let this be a warning to all you nasty scorpions! Don't mess with Bean and Avalanche!" She cries out, ignoring the fact that she used her dreaded nickname. Ava skips over to the silk package. She lets out a light chuckle of delight when she picks it up. "Rina, you open it!" She commands. Without giving me much warning, she chucks it at my head, but I catch just in time.

The silk is incredibly soft and is a vibrant red. Even if there is nothing in it, the fabric is gorgeous. I unwrap the parcel to see a note in it. In huge, black letters it says '_Try Again'_.

Ava looks at it with wide eyes. Suddenly she throws her sword down. "Gods dang it! I could've sworn we would've won this thing!" She pouts.

I try to hide my amusement with the situation. "It's _okay_ Ava. We can just find another one. There is still time." As soon as I'm done saying that, the cannon sounds to end the game. Ava's pout transforms into a full-out Mr. D worthy frown.

"I swear when I find out who won, I will take their laurel from them by force and claim that we won." Ava mutters under her breath, but I'm sure it's 'Ares' that is talking.

* * *

Ava stuck to her word, even when she saw that it was her sister Clarisse that won. They are tackling each other for it, and Clarisse is winning. Clarisse is older and stronger than Ava so it's not much of a contest but Ava is relentless.

"Give it to me!" Ava shrieks like a little child. She pounds her hands on Clarisse's arms.

Clarisse snickers. "No way! I won that fair and square!"

"With Lee!" Ava reminds her. "Why don't you give it to him?"

"So that you can just beat him up and take it? Not gonna happen!" She grunts. Clarisse manages to kick Ava off of her. The face each other in a stance similar to wrestlers. Ava lunges at her, making them both tumble to the ground.

Several of the other Children of Ares come back. All of them are muddy and not happy, but their spirits lift up immediately at the fight. They gather around the two and start making bets on who will win.

Sherman smirks at the two. "How do you think will win?" He asks me. Ever since the hellhounds back in the winter, he has warmed up to me. Well, he's no longer glaring at me every time we see each other.

"Oh, Clarisse for sure." I say without hesitation.

"Rina!" Ava exclaims in surprise. Clarisse takes advantage of her distraction and pins her to the grass. Ava lets out a groan of disappointment, along with half of the Children of Ares. In the dark I can see the glint of drachmas passed from one hand to another.

"That's enough!" Quintus booms. "Has anyone seen Percy and Annabeth?" Nobody answers. Quintus frowns. "Nobody will be left behind. Get together in groups of three to search the woods. There may be some monsters left so be cautious." Mrs. O'Leary woofs in agreement.

* * *

The torch in my hand is starting to burn low and my voice is hoarse from calling out their names. If we don't find them soon, then my voice will be completely gone.

Clarisse groans in irritation. "We checked all of the woods except for Zeus's Fist. If they're not there, then they're not anywhere." She tells us. Several groups spread out and head in that direction.

"What if they're dead? What then?" Ava asks but she doesn't look too concerned for them. The Ares cabin is most definitely not a fan of Percy Jackson.

Clarisse grunts as she jumps over a log. "Then I'm going to resurrect them then kill them for making us trudge through the woods the whole night." She grumbles.

We walk in silence to the mound of rocks. The only words that are spoken are the occasional 'Do you think that is them?' then the groan of frustration when it's just another search party. This continues on several times that we don't even bother to check if they people we see are Annabeth and Percy. We just know that they aren't them.

"Percy! Annabeth!" Tyson shouts. His voice is different from the other bored calls and it sounds like he found something. Without saying a word, Clarisse, Ava, and I run towards them to see Percy and Annabeth climbing out of a hole on Zeus's Fist.

Clarisse glowers at them. "Where have you been?" She demands while looking very close to running Percy through with her spear. Her hands tighten around the weapon. The veins in her hands stick out.

"We have been looking for you guys forever. We all spent half the night walking around the woods!" I say. Several other of my fellow campers nod in agreement.

"But we have only been gone for a few minutes." Percy comments. He glances back at the hole in the rock in confusion.

Tyson rushes towards his brother. "Are you okay?" He asks. He's covered head to toe in mud.

Percy shrugs. He glances at Annabeth before speaking. "We're fine, just fell in a hole."

Everyone glances at him skeptically before shifting their eyes to Annabeth who will give us a clear answer. Percy seems somewhat insulted that we don't take his word. "Honest! Three scorpions came after us so we hid in the rocks. But I know we were only gone for a few minutes." He tells us sincerely.

Chiron frowns. "You've been gone for almost an hour." Clarisse and I share a look. It feels like we've walked around the woods for at least four. "The game has been over for a long time now."

"Time going by faster than it seems... a hole..." I whisper to myself. If this means what I think it means, then we just found an entrance to the Labyrinth.

Clarisse's eyes narrow. "A hole?" She asks slowly.

Annabeth takes in a deep breath. She glances at the other campers with wide eyes. "Chiron, Clarisse, Rina, I think we should talk about this somewhere else."

Clarisse and I gasp as our suspicions come true. My mouth falls open in shock. "You found it, didn't you?" I ask. Annabeth nods. I place a hand to my forehead. "Right here in camp. Right under our noses."

The dots connect in my head. If Luke knows about the entrance to camp, then we are in big trouble.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you everyone for your support! I appreciate each favorite/follow/review! Just you guys reading my story means a lot to me! Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it!**

* * *

The campers disperse, all of them grumbling unhappily. It's no wonder that they're irritated about the amount of secrecy happening in the camp lately. Despite being upset of being kept in the dark, the other campers leave us be but only the gods know how many questions they will ask us in the morning. When the last people leave the surrounding woods, we can finally talk in secret. The only thing that will overhear is the occasional owl or nymph.

"This explains a lot about what Luke is after." Clarisse comments. She sheaths her sword violently and cracks her knuckles as if she is expecting a fight. Clarisse leans back so that she has a clear view of the Labyrinth.

Percy holds up his hands. "Wait. What do you mean? What did Annabeth and I find?" His eyes search our faces for an answer.

Annabeth turns to him with dark eyes. The gloomy forest gives her a dramatic and gloomy expression. Shadows crawl down her face slowly. "We found an entrance into the Labyrinth."

We fall silent. The only sounds are the crickets in the grass.

"In other words, an invasion route straight into camp." I add quietly. I twist my hand nervously around the hilt of my sword.

Percy looks stunned for several seconds then he recovers with dead-set determination. He stares at the entrance with narrowed eyes. Percy has such a strong look of intensity that if I didn't know any better, then I would say that Kronos is standing right there and Percy is about to take him on. "Then what are we waiting for? Chiron, you have to make a quest for someone to stop him!" Percy exclaims.

Chiron shakes his head. He turns his back on the entrance to block our view with his large horse body. Chiron frowns deeply. "No, we should wait till the morning." He says cautiously.

I cross my arms and stare at the centaur. "We need to act _now_. Every second that we wait is another second that Luke is closer to what he wants." I say but Chiron doesn't seem swayed. He doesn't even take my words into consideration. His mind is already dead set.

"No." He says firmly. The look on his face dares anyone to try to argue with him. "We will wait till the morning when we will be well-rested. We will be in the right set of mind. It would be wisest to wait till then. I'm sure Annabeth can agree with that, being the Daughter of Athena."

Annabeth looks down at the grass in submission then nods. "I agree. We make better decisions after we are rested and had time to think about what we should do."

I open my mouth to disagree but I quickly close it. No matter how much I argue with them, neither Annabeth nor Chiron will ever back down. Chiron extends his arm. "Come, I will escort you all back to camp."

I take in a shaky breath then follow the Centaur back to camp. I'm sure that after everything that has happened, it will be impossible to fall asleep or even relax.

* * *

Every cabin leaders, Argus, Quintus, Chiron, Annabeth, Tyson, Grover, Juniper, and I sit around each other in the sword arena. We sit at a table that was specially brought out for the meeting. Clarisse tries to hide her shaking hands in her lap, but I know she is still shaken up from her last time in the maze. She scowls at me when she sees me looking at her. Then she takes out a knife and twirls it around in her hand with such skill that only a Child of Ares can have.

Percy runs in, a couple of minutes late. Clarisse hisses something under her breath. Insulting Percy and twirling her small blade seems to distract her because her hands aren't shaking as bad anymore. He takes a seat next to Argus and turns towards Clarisse, Annabeth, and I so that we can start the briefing.

I glue my arms to my sides, suddenly feeling nervous at the sudden attention. "As you all know, the entrance to the Labyrinth was found in the camp last night." I start. All eyes focus on me. It's very daunting considering that Argus alone has dozens of eyes. "We think that Kronos and his followers will use the entrance to attack camp. They would be able to get within the borders and stage a lethal attack."

Annabeth pounds her fist into her open palm. "Luke must know about the entrance. He knew everything about camp and he spent years here. That is the only way that they would know about the entrance is if Luke told them." Annabeth says. She clenches her fist every time she says Luke's name, but it's so unnoticeable that I doubt she even notices that she's doing it.

Juniper clears her throat to get everyone's attention. "The cave entrance has been there for a long time. As long as I can remember. Luke used to use it." She says with hate clear in her voice. Her face twists like she tasted something sour when she says Luke's name.

Silena frowns at the wood nymph. "You knew about the entrance and you didn't tell anyone?" Juniper's face turns a bright green; her equivalent of a blush.

"Silena..." I warn.

My sister scowls at me. Our relationship has been pretty rough ever since the incident with Ralph. "What? That is important information to keep back!" She defends herself. Silena crosses her arms defiantly.

Juniper looks down at her hands shamefully. "I didn't know it was important. I didn't even know it was the Labyrinth. It seemed like a cave. Just a yucky, gross, stinky cave." She wrinkles her nose in disgust. "I wouldn't have paid any attention to it if it wasn't for Luke." Juniper continues to blush so that she is almost as bright green as the plants in the rainforest. Grover pats Juniper's clasped hands affectionately.

Quintus runs a greasy rag over his sword, in a similar way that I always saw Ares cleaning his sword. He clicks his tongue. "Interesting. And you all truly believe that this man would use that Labyrinth as an invasion route?" He glances up at us momentarily then his eyes flicker back to his sword.

Clarisse nods confidently. She sticks her chin up a little higher than normal. "We are absolutely certain. If he could get an army of monsters through, to pop up in the woods of Camp Halfblood, then he could take out the entire camp! We wouldn't have a chance. This type of plan must've taken months of careful planning. He knows what he is doing." For a second it seems that Clarisse is impressed by the carefully crafted war plan, but she quickly covers it up.

Annabeth seems to approve of everything Clarisse is saying because she doesn't interrupt until she's done, something that Annabeth rarely does nowadays. "He has already sent some scouts into the maze. We know that for sure because," she falters slightly, "because we found one."

Clarisse's hands start to shake again under the table. The knife slips and she cuts her fingers. I want to tell her that everything is okay, and that the horrors of the maze are behind us, but that would just embarrass her to do that in front of everyone. Much like me, she doesn't want to look weak in front of anyone. And, it's also a lie. The horrors of the maze still live in the basement of the Big House. They still live in our minds.

"Chris Rodriguez." Chiron says. He gives Quintus a pointed look.

Quintus's face dawns with understanding. "Ahh yes... the one in the..." He pauses but the word is right on his lips. _Basement. The one in the basement_. Quintus nods. "Yes, yes I understand."

Percy looks at the sword instructor. "The one in the what?" He asks. Poor Percy is so out of the loop but there's no time to explain things to him now.

Clarisse glares at him. She clears her throat and steers the conversation in another direction. "The point is that Luke is trying to navigate the maze. He must be looking for Daedalus's workshop."

"The guy who made the maze." Percy fills in the blanks.

"Yes." Annabeth tells him. "He was the greatest architect, an extraordinary inventor. No, the greatest inventor of all time. If all the legends are true, then his workshop is in the center of the huge maze. He's the only person who knows how to maneuver the maze without error. If Luke finds the workshop and convinces Daedalus to help him, then he wouldn't have to fumble around searching for paths, or risk losing an army. He could go anywhere he wants to go - fast and safe." Her face pales. "First to Camp Halfblood... then Olympus."

There is a long moment of silence. Suddenly Charles places his large hands on the table with a loud clang. "Back up a sec. You're talking about finding Daedalus, but isn't he dead?" He asks.

Quintus grunts. "I would hope so. He lived about three thousand years ago. Even if somehow he is alive, don't the old stories say that he fled the Labyrinth?"

Chiron shuffles in his wheelchair. He sets his face to a stone cold expression. "That's the problem. No one really knows. There are rumors that Daedalus disappeared back into the Labyrinth near the end of his life. There is a chance that he is still there. But rumors can be unreliable information."

Annabeth places her hands firmly on the table. "We have to go. We have to find his workshop before Luke does. If Daedalus is alive, then we have to convince him to help us. If Ariadne's string does exist, then we have to make sure Luke never gets it."

"If there is a chance that we can stop him, then we have to do it." I say firmly. "_Even_ if it means going into the Labyrinth." Clarisse looks hands with furious concentration.

"Wait a second." Percy says. "If we're so worried about an attack, then why don't we just block the entrance? Maybe blow it up or something."

Clarisse glares at the Son of Poseidon again. "It's not that simple, idiot. Rina and I tried that at an entrance. It didn't go as well as we thought."

I nod. "It's a magical piece of architecture. It will take a lot of power to close just one of the entrances. Clarisse and I knocked down a building with a wrecking ball and the entrance just moved a couple of feet over. We tried everything we could think and it would just move." I tell everyone.

"We can't destroy it so the best we can do is stop Luke from learning how to navigate the maze." Annabeth says

Lee clenches up one fist. "We can fight. We know where the entrance is now so we could easily set up a defensive line. If any army comes through then we would be ready with explosives and bows."

Chiron nods in agreement, but he doesn't look confident in the plan. "We will set up defensives. That we will do. I'm afraid that Rina and Clarisse are right. If the monsters can get past the magical border, there is no telling what kind of damage they can do. But I fear that if they attack the camp through the Labyrinth, we will not be strong enough to defend ourselves."

"Chiron..." I start but then I realize he is right. There is no possible way that we will be able to hold off an entire army for long, no matter how much I don't want to admit it. We simply do not have enough people or weapons to fight against all the monsters that Luke would lead into battle.

There is a long silence until Annabeth breaks it. She tries to make her voice sounds as upbeat as possible, but after Chiron's confession, there isn't much hope in her words. "We have to find Daedalus's workshop first. We will also find Ariadne's string and keep it out of Luke's hands." Annabeth plans.

Percy looks up at her. "But nobody can really navigate the maze. What chance do we have?"

Annabeth narrows her eyes in a way that only a Daughter of Athena can do. "I've studied architecture for years. I know his maze better than anybody."

"From reading about it." Percy deadpans.

"Yes."

"From books." Percy states.

"How else would I read about it?" Annabeth snaps.

"That's not enough."

"It has to be!" Annabeth growls.

"It isn't!"

Annabeth places her hands on her hips. "Are you going to help me or not, Percy?"

They both blush when they realize that we are all staring at them. They were arguing like two people would play tennis.

Chiron clears his throat. He casts the two weary looks. "First things first. We need a quest. Someone must enter the Labyrinth, find the workshop of Daedalus, and prevent Luke from invading the camp."

Clarisse glances up at Annabeth. "We all know who should lead this. Annabeth." She says.

Annabeth has told me that she has wanted to lead a quest ever since she came to camp, but now she just looks uncomfortable. I'm sure she is thinking that she will lead us all to an early grave in an unconquerable maze. And that may be true, but she is more prepared for this quest than anyone. If anyone can navigate the maze, then I'm sure that the person is Annabeth.

I place a hand on her shoulder. "I agree. Annabeth knows the most about the Labyrinth so it would only make sense."

Annabeth looks over at Clarisse and me. "You two have done as much as I have. You guys should be the ones to go on this quest."

Clarisse shakes her head. Her mouth forms a frown and the knife in her hand slips again. This time it clatters to the ground. "I'm not going back there. I don't know about Rina, but I will not go down in that maze."

Travis lets out a piercing laugh. "Don't tell me that you're scared? Clarisse being a chicken? Someone get a camera." Travis says sarcastically.

Clarisse jumps out of her seat. I grab her arm just in case she has any ideas of attacking Travis. But someone should be holding be back because I am very close to doing it for her. Travis doesn't understand what it's like down there. The walls shift just to mess with your mind. Monsters and traps appear out of nowhere. It's madness if you stay down there too long.

Her hand shakes but she stops it with a clenched fist. "You don't understand! I'm never going back down there!" Clarisse turns to stomp away towards the Big House.

I glare at Travis who is looking very sheepish. "What is your problem? You have no idea what it's like down there. You weren't there." I snap. I take a deep breath to keep myself from lunging.

Travis's cheeks turn a light pink. His ears turn the colors of the strawberries in the fields. "I didn't mean-"

I point a finger violently towards him. "Until you have been down there yourself, then you have no right to make fun of someone for not wanting to return. I don't blame her and honestly I don't want to return either." I manage to sit back down, practically fuming. I look over at Quintus who is tense on the edge of his seat. He was ready to stop me from skinning Travis alive and I'm glad that someone was prepared to keep me from killing him.

Chiron glances over at me to make sure I have calmed down enough before continuing. "The poor girl has had a difficult year. Let's just leave it be. Now, do we all agree that Annabeth should lead this quest?"

Everyone nods enthusiastically. We are all unanimous in our agreement. Well, except for Quintus who just sits there, looking at the table.

Chiron turns towards Annabeth. Her face flushes with either excitement or fear. Maybe a mixture of both. From all the stories Clarisse and I told her, she must not be too keen on entering the maze either.

"My dear, it is your time to visit the oracle. Assuming you return to us in one piece, we will discuss what to do next." He tells her.

Annabeth walks briskly to the Big House and to the attic. I walk by her side since I know Clarisse is with Chris in the basement and I want to help her out as much as possible.

I look at her from the corner of my eye. "Don't be nervous, you will be fine." I try to sound as optimistic as possible.

Annabeth nods. "I know. I'm just nervous about what the oracle will say. She always seems to say something about death." She turns a little green at the last sentence. Her mouth twitches into a frown at the thought of someone dying while she is leading a quest.

I shake my head. "Maybe she won't this time. You'll be fine."

Suddenly she grabs my arm roughly and looks at me with wide eyes when we walk into the building. "I feel like a jerk for asking this, but will you come into the Labyrinth with me? I would feel so much better if there is someone who has experience with it along on the quest. You can be helpful. We can combine your first-hand experience with the maze and my knowledge about how it works." She looks so hopeful. I feel so guilty for even considering to say no.

I frown but my head moves into a nod despite the feelings of terror racing through my veins. My heart feels like it's pounding in my head and my limbs feel like they're stuffed with lead. All of the memories of the Labyrinth gush through the floodgate in my mind. The moving walls. Getting separated from Clarisse after she fell down a shallow well. All of the monsters... The room that nearly drove us to insanity... My mind drifts to a dark place, but Annabeth speaking again pulls me back.

She lets out a sigh of relief. Annabeth glances at the steps. "Thank you, Rina. You're a good friend. Well, the oracle is waiting." She climbs up the steps, stomping loudly as if to warn the oracle that she is coming.

I walk under the stairs where there is a door to the basement. The door opens with a loud squeak. A sliver of light pierces the almost pure darkness like a knife. Chris lets out a cry when the light hits him and he scurries away like a cockroach. Clarisse runs a hand through her tangled hair. Whenever she is around Chris, she looks ten years older. Her face sticks in an expression of a warrior that just saw her best friend die in combat.

"Jessica!" Chris screams when he sees me. He reaches his hand out to me then slaps it away like a fly with his other hand. "No! You're only an illusion. Like Mary!" He mutters to himself. Chris hugs his shoulders, tears dripping down his sunken in face. His lips tremble slightly, but it's hard to see since Chris prefers to be in the dark. The light scares him.

I shake my head. A feeling of despair washes over me at the sight of the broken boy. "I'm Rina, not Jessica. That's Clarisse not Mary." The words seem to pass right through him. They don't connect in his mind but I know he heard me. He just didn't _hear_ me.

Chris rocks back and forth. "It hurts, Mary. It hurts." He cries.

Clarisse holds out a bottle of nectar. "Try this. It will help." She pleads.

Chris shakes his head. "Why won't it stop? Why won't it stop?" He starts to pound on his head with his fists. Clarisse holds his wrists to keep Chris from hurting himself.

"Chris, we're only trying to help." I say softly. Chris sniffles and his eyes look right past me at the dark wall. His once bright eyes remain the same dull brown they have been ever since he escaped the maze.

Clarisse moves towards him but he crawls away. "It's going to be okay. Just try some nectar." She says soothingly but her voice cracks. Clarisse looks like she is close to tears herself.

Chris lets out another sob. "G-get away, Mary! You're just an illusion. Just an illusion." He mumbles to himself.

Clarisse shakes her head sadly. "My name's not Mary. It's Clarisse. Remember?"

Chris lets out a shriek of madness. "It's so dark! Too dark!"

I hold out my hand for him. "Come with us outside. The sun will help you, Chris." I try to coax him out. He stares at my hand for several seconds then back to Clarisse. His eyes move back to my hand again. When it looks like he is about to agree to come outside, he backs up to the wall and lets out another horrifying sob.

"A... A thousand skulls. The earth keeps healing him. Impossible. Impossible." He whispers to himself.

Clarisse wipes a stray tear from her eyes. "Please Chris. You have to get better. Just hold on till Mr. D gets here. He's good with things like madness."

His eyes roam everywhere. They don't stay in one spot for longer than a second. There isn't a single corner of the room that Chris doesn't look at. "There is no way out, Mary. Jessica is gone. Dead. She's gone but I still see her everywhere. Even the dead can't get out. We can't get out, Mary. So dark, so dark." Chris mutters. His hands claw at the dirt, as if he's trying to dig his way out of here. His nails are chipped and dirty from doing the same digging motion for several days.

I reach towards him and this time he doesn't back away. He closes his eyes and several tears come out. Suddenly he reaches forward and grips my hand so tight that I thought he would just rip it off of me. His eyes grow as wide as dinner plates. "Please take me out of here. Take me and Mary out of here. Bring us back. Bring us back! Why can't you hear me, Jessica? Take us with you!" He lets out a choked sob.

Chris looks up behind us. He lets go of my hand and tries to sink further into the wall. Chris cowers in the shadows, desperately trying to hide in its dark embrace. "The Son of Poseidon! He's horrible!" He screams.

"Please drink the nectar." Clarisse pleads, her voice becoming more urgent. "It will make you better. Please, Chris."

He eyes the bottle mysteriously. "Wha-what?"

Her eyes shine like a million lights. This is the first coherent response that Chris has made in a long time. "Drink the nectar, Chris."

"Nectar." He mumbles to himself. Chris takes it from her and sips from the bottle. Clarisse and I hold our breathes to see his next reaction. Suddenly Chris hurls the bottle across the room. It shatters on the opposite wall. He scratches his arms at an itch that isn't there. "Don't drink the water, Mary! Poison! Poison! We're dead! Black as ink, black as ink. It's not... It's not..." Chris sobs into his hands.

Clarisse turns towards me with hardened eyes. "Get out of here and see what the others are doing about the quest."

My eyes grow wide. "But-"

She shakes her head. "I can handle him. Go. You're needed."

Something in her eyes tell me not to disobey her. I listen and run up the stairs, leaving Chris and Clarisse behind me. Even when I'm upstairs, I can still hear his screams of terror.

* * *

I stand next to Percy and Chiron as Annabeth comes out of the Big House. She looks terrified. Her hands are clasped to her side and she's as stiff as a robot. Whatever the oracle said, it clearly got to her. When she sees our curious glances, Annabeth straightens her back and sets her face into a stone-like expression.

Annabeth glances over us all. "I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to go Daedalus's workshop."

Chiron scrapes his hoof against the dirt nervously. He may not say it but he is clearly nervous for her. "What did the prophecy say exactly? The wording is very important."

Annabeth takes in a deep breath. "_You shall delve into the darkness of the endless maze_." Annabeth pauses and we all wait patiently. She clenches her hands together to gather enough strength to continue. "_The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise_."

Grover perks up immediately. "The lost one! That must mean Pan! This is fantastic!" He exclaims. Grover is all but jumping up and down in excitement.

I frown. "The dead and the traitor doesn't sound as great." I say but that doesn't stop Grover from quivering in anticipation. Percy puts a steady hand on his shoulder to keep Grover from dancing the macarena, which nobody wants to see.

"And?" Chiron presses. "What is the rest, child?"

Annabeth's eyes flutter nervously. "_You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand. The child of Athena's final stand_." She finishes. Her voice shakes slightly but she keeps it in control.

We all stay quiet. Annabeth is the Daughter of Athena so it could mean that the prophecy is about her, but who knows? Prophecies can mean anything. They are never really clear until after it has come true. Even Apollo had trouble figuring out the meaning behind prophecies.

Silena looks at Annabeth uncomfortably. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions. Annabeth isn't the only Child of Athena, right?" This doesn't seem to help the situation much.

Charles takes Silena's hand. Silena blushes slightly but she doesn't say anything. Charles clears his throat. "Who is the ghost king?"

No one answers because no one knows the answer. Not even Chiron knows what to say. He just changes the subject. "Are there more lines? The prophecy doesn't sound complete."

Annabeth hesitates to tell us. "I don't really remember." Chiron raises an eyebrow. Everyone is skeptical that Annabeth doesn't remember the last line. She would never, ever forget something that is this important. Annabeth shifts around in her spot. "Something about _Destroy with a hero's last final breath._" Annabeth tells us hesitantly. Her hands curl the edges of her camp t-shirt.

"And?" Chiron insists.

Annabeth shakes her head. "That point is that I have to go in and find the workshop. And... I need help. I already asked Rina and she accepted."

Silena shakes her head. "Silena is still in trouble for what happened to Ralph." She states angrily but her eyes are full of worry.

Annabeth gives Silena a glare so strong that it can melt anyone into a puddle. "I need her. She has experience with the maze. She is very, _very_ important to the quest."

Chiron clears his throat. "I'm sure we can make an exception this one time, however, Rina will be expected to return with her punishment after she comes back."

Silena's mouth falls open in shock that Chiron would bend the rules like that. And honestly, I'm surprised too! She mumbles something under her breath about it being dangerous and things like that, but she doesn't say anything else to anyone.

Annabeth turns to Percy. "Will you come?"

Percy answers without hesitation. "I'm in."

Annabeth smiles in relief. She turns towards Grover. "You too? The God of the Wild is waiting."

Grover jumps up and down. "I'll pack extra recyclables! Pan, here I come!"

Annabeth's smile grows wider. She turns towards Tyson. "I need you too. Will you come, Tyson?"

Tyson's mouth turns into an enormous grin. "Yay! Blow-up things time!" He claps his hands so loud that it sounds like thunder.

Chiron frowns. He stares at Annabeth with unblinking eyes. "That is five."

Annabeth nods. "I know."

Chiron swishes his tail violently, nearly hitting Grover in the face. "My dear, that is against ancient laws. You are only allowed two companions."

She shakes her head. "I need all of them. Chiron, it's really important."

His mouth forms a terrible frown and he stomps his hooves in the dirt. "Annabeth, consider well. You would be breaking ancient laws and there are always consequences. Last winter, five went on a quest and three came back. Three is a very sacred number. There are three fates, three furies, three Olympian sons of Kronos. It is a very strong number. Four is risky... but five? That's too much danger. I don't know if I can allow you to place yourself in that situation."

She takes in a deep breath but she isn't swayed by his words. Annabeth has made up her mind a long time ago. And when she makes up her mind, there is no one on earth who can change it. "I know but we have to. Please, Chiron."

Quintus examines each of us with narrowed eyes. Almost as if he's placing bets on who will return or not. Chiron sighs but I can see the reluctance in his eyes. "Very well. We are adjourned. The members of the quest must have time to prepare themselves. Tomorrow at dawn, you will be sent into the Labyrinth."

* * *

I pack everything that I can think of. Extra food, Blankets, my sword, several daggers, my flashlight, and a lot of water. Thanks to Athena, I can fit everything in the small purse with tons of room to spare.

"Knock, knock." Silena says. I see her standing by the entrance to the cabin. She walks in and sits next to me on my bed. Her blue eyes watch my every movement careful.

"Hey, Silena." I mumble. With one hand I stuff the wool blanket from my bed in the purse.

Silena continues to watch my every move. Oddly enough, she looks incredibly guilty. Then suddenly, she engulfs me in a huge hug. I don't respond at first because I am startled, but I eventually realize what is happening and hug her back. "Don't get yourself killed, alright?" She mumbles into my hair. Her arms tighten around me like a child would hug a teddy bear.

"I won't." I tell her, but it comes out breathy since she is squishing me.

Silena pulls away from me slightly. Enough so that I can see her face, but not enough so that we aren't hugging. "I'm serious. I don't want to lose my sister. You better come back otherwise I will personally go down into the Underworld and drag your soul back to camp." Silena threatens.

I let out a laugh. Silena soon joins me.

"I promise that nothing bad will happen." I say.

Silena raises an eyebrow. "You're going to the Labyrinth. Of course something bad is going to happen. I don't care if you come back like Chris with jelly instead of a brain or with no arms or legs. Or even if you become more robot than human because of a tragic accident. As long as you come back." She says quietly.

I manage to crack a smile. "Don't worry, Silena. I will come back."

She sighs. "Just... be safe. I don't know exactly what happened to you when you went into the Labyrinth with Clarisse, but I know that it messed you up. I _really_ hope that the same thing doesn't happen again."

I shake my head. "It's different now."

Her eyebrows come together. "No, it's not. Yes, you're much more prepared but you're still as unaware of what is going to happen as last time. At least now you have food and water."

As much as I want to tell her that we are aware of what is going to happen, of course it would be a lie. The maze is unpredictable. Nobody, not even Annabeth, can prepare themselves for what is waiting in the Labyrinth. All I can hope is for all of us to get out with a beating heart, but even that cannot be guaranteed.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! And don't worry, you're find out the exact details of what happened to Clarisse and Rina later on. Please review/favorite/follow!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you for showing your support for this fanfiction! I'm so happy whenever someone favorites/reviews/follows!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series or any of its characters. I just own Ava, Rina, and Tyler.**

* * *

Ava gives me another bone-crushing hug. It is amazing how such a small girl is so strong!

She pulls away from me. "The minute you get back I'm going to take you out on a canoe ride so we can get rid of the sea monster in the lake! It took a lot of convincing but the Apollo cabin has agreed to stay away from it until you get back." She exclaims.

I laugh. "No, you guys take care of it. Who knows when I will get back?"

Her smile falters slightly. "You know you're pretty much my only friend, besides my siblings but they're my siblings so they don't count. And if you don't come back..." She blinks hard several times. Ava then turns away and wipes her eyes furiously. "Eyelash in my eye." She mumbles under her breath.

My mouth falls into a frown. "I'm not planning to stay down in the Labyrinth. I'll come back. Don't worry, Avalanche."

Ava smirks. "I know, Bean. When you come back, be ready the hardest, biggest, most bone-breaking hug that there has ever been."

I fight back a laugh, but fail. "I'll see you in a week or so."

"See ya." She says. Ava waves half-heartedly then leaves to practice sword fighting with her siblings. She doesn't stick around long enough to see me go down in the Labyrinth.

I walk over to Annabeth who is double checking on the supplies in her pack. She smacks her sleeping roll, trying to force it in the bag. I lean over and help her stuff it in. After several seconds of pushing, it finally fits in the bag.

Annabeth wipes her forehead that is beginning to sweat from the heat and the work out it took to stuff her sleeping bag in the pack. "Thanks." She breathes out. "I've been trying to get that in the bag for forever."

I raise an eyebrow at the oversized pack. "Isn't that a little much?"

She shrugs. "You can never be too prepared. What are you bringing?" I hold up my purse and Annabeth looks at me oddly. I open it up so that she can see the cans of food, dozens of books, several weapons, and piles of clothes. "Impressive." She comments. Annabeth eyes my bag, trying to figure out what exactly makes it that way.

Clarisse looks down at us. We both stand at the same time. Clarisse's arms are plastered to her sides and she keeps eyeing the entrance of the Labyrinth with weary eyes. "Be careful. Don't underestimate the maze." Clarisse tells us.

Annabeth shakes her head. "I won't." Her chin lifts slightly in confidence.

Clarisse opens her mouth to say something but then snaps it shut.

Annabeth narrows her eyes. "What were you going to say?"

Clarisse lets out a sigh. "You're really smart, Annabeth. But your problem is that you think you know everything about the maze." Her face turns a sickly white. "Don't let it know what your plan is. It will purposefully mess everything up for you. You can never really understand until you are down there yourself." Clarisse turns sharply on her heels, not bothering to give us a proper goodbye or a wave.

"That was weird. Clarisse has never complimented me." Annabeth says to herself, more confused by the compliment than Clarisse's advice.

My heart beats slightly faster at the thought of the maze messing around with us. "She's worried about the maze and honestly, so am I. You'll see what it's like soon enough." I reply quietly.

Percy and Tyson walk over to us. Annabeth smiles at Percy and I feel the same warm ember that I felt before. It takes every ounce of my strength to keep myself from bouncing up and down and chant 'Percy and Annabeth sitting in a tree...'. She stares at his face then frowns in disapproval. "You look terrible, Percy." She observes. There are bags under Percy's eyes that show that he barely got any sleep. His face is slack like a college student that just went to a mind-numbing lecture.

Tyson leans forward. "He killed the fountain last night."

Annabeth and I give him an odd look. Before Percy could explain, Chiron trots over.

"Well, it appears that you all are ready." He says with a chipper voice but underneath his optimistic mask is worry. I can see through it immediately. My faith in us completing our quest alive gradually goes down at the fact that Chiron thinks that he is seeing us for the last time. Also, my past experiences with the maze make it particularly difficult to be optimistic. In fact, I already gave Drew a design of what I want my burial shroud to look like if I never return. It's not like Drew is nice to me, but she seems happy enough to hold onto the small drawing and is most likely looking forward to making the shroud.

Percy claps his hands together. "Hey, uh, Chiron. Can you do a favor for me while I'm gone?"

Chiron nods a tad too enthusiastically. "Of course."

Percy gives us a look that screams 'sorry, you can't know this mysterious thing I'm about to talk about'. "Be right back, guys." He walks off into the woods with Chiron following close behind.

Juniper lets out a loud cry then collapses on to Grover. So far she has been strong for Grover's sake, but it was only a matter of time before she broke down. Grover whispers things in her ear to calm her down but the tears keep flowing. She backs off of his and straightens his clothes with small beads of water dripping down her cheeks.

Juniper dabs a green tear with a handkerchief embroidered with satyrs dancing. One of them looks suspiciously like Grover. "I'm sorry, just getting emotional. Silly me." Her voice shakes from her sobs.

"It's okay, Juniper. I'm sure you're worried but Grover will be fine." I tell her.

She sniffles. "Yes I really am, but my Grover will find Pan. I know he will. And when he gets back, I will bake the best pie made from fresh-cut grass and tin cans just for my brave satyr."

Grover blushes. I hear his stomach rumble at the mention of the pie. "We don't know if we will find Pan. We don't even know if he's down there." Grover shuffles his hooves in the dirt.

Juniper slaps his arm, which makes Grover yelp. She jabs a finger towards her boyfriend. "Hush! If anyone can find Pan, God of the Wild, it is you! I have faith in you." By now her tears are gone and replaced with pure pride. She leans up to kiss him on the cheek, which only deepens Grover's blush.

Annabeth narrows her eyes at Percy and Chiron. "What's taking them so long? We have to go. The faster we get in the maze, the faster we find Daedalus's workshop." She walks over to them, says something to Percy, then walks back with Percy right behind her.

Chiron steps towards us. "Take care and good hunting."

Percy nods. "You too."

Grover's legs shake at the entrance of the labyrinth and I would be lying if I said mine aren't too. He gazes up at the sky. "Goodbye sunshine."

Tyson looks down. "Hello rocks."

With Annabeth leading the way, we enter the Labyrinth. A lump catches in my throat at the darkness. With desperate, frantic movements, I take out the flashlight Apollo gave me. The lump doesn't go away even though the hallway is lit up.

Annabeth looks at it in amazement. "Is that... a bottled up ray of sunshine?" She asks. I nod. Annabeth tosses her flashlight back in her pack. "Guess we don't need these anymore. That will light the way just fine. Can I have it since I will be leading us?"

I hesitantly give it to her. It's not that I don't trust her, it's that it was a gift and I would feel better holding it. It's my life line and source of light: I feel like it's the only connection to the world above.

Annabeth reaches for the bottom dial. "Don't!" I exclaim. "If you turn it too bright then you can blind us all."

Her cheeks turn a light pink at her almost fatal mistake. Annabeth straightens her back. "Well, let's get going."

We walk a hundred feet before the walls turn to a sewer-like system with iron portholes every so often. Even Apollo's light cannot light the whole Labyrinth. Up ahead it's just a black hole. No light gets in. I shudder at what sounds like small screams echoing off the walls. Chris's words echo in my mind. _Even the dead can't escape_. This is too much like the time I went into the Labyrinth with Clarisse.

I feel a large hand on my shoulder. I look behind me to see Tyson staring at me with an unblinking eye. "You okay? You're shivering."

I look at my hands to see them shaking. To stop the sign of weakness, I clench one around my sword and the other around the strap of my purse. I raise my chin slightly. "I'm fine." I manage to croak out with a steady voice. How I managed that, I don't know.

Annabeth turns around and looks at me. A flash of guilt washes over her face. "Do you want to go back? Maybe we can..." She pauses and her grey eyes grow wide. I don't have to turn around to know that the hallways shifted because of her very words. There is no chance that I can leave now. I must keep pressing on with the group.

I shake my head. "No and it's too late anyways. No point in going back. The entrance already moved. And even if it didn't, I said I would go on this quest with you so I'm not turning back."

"That's impossible." Annabeth snips. "But if you say so, then let's keep going." She casts me one last wary look before facing forward. Annabeth runs her hand along the left wall. "If we keep one hand on the left wall and follow it, we should find our way out again by reverse coursing."

"That's not going to work." I quip, remembering how the walls move every time Clarisse and I would decide on a way to go. The maze purposefully works against you.

She glares at me. "Yes it should. Why wouldn't..." Annabeth pauses. The room shift into a large circular room with eight tunnels. None of us have any clue which way to go from here.

Grover shifts his eyes over the tunnels. "Ummm... guys? Which way did we come in?"

Annabeth thinks for several moments. "Just turn around." She says bluntly.

I stay in my spot like a statue while the others turn around. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic or I'm just too familiar with the maze, but you can't just turn around in a place like this. Not soon after they all are arguing about which tunnel to go down. After several minutes of harsh words, the rest join me to decide our next move.

Tyson pouts. "Left walls are mean. Which way now?"

She holds out my flashlight and peers into the different tunnels. Annabeth can see a little into each so that she has an idea of what is coming but it's not enough to make a good decision. She points towards one tunnel confidently. "That one."

Percy blinks once at her. "How do you know?" He asks.

Annabeth shrugs. "Deductive reasoning."

"So... you're guessing?" Percy presses.

Annabeth walks past him and into the tunnel. "Just come on, Seaweed Brain."

The tunnel we went down narrows very quickly. The walls turned to a gray cement color that makes it seem like a bomb shelter. It becomes so narrow that Tyson has to crawl! I turn to my side so that I can shuffle along the hallway faster.

Grover's heavy breathing is the only noise in the Labyrinth. It sounds like he's going to pass out at any second and that really worries me. "How long has it been?" He gasps. Grover clutches at his chest. "I can't stand it anymore!" He pounds his hands on the surrounding walls.

Annabeth sighs. "It's been only five minutes."

Grover continues to hyperventilate. "It has to be longer than that! Definitely more than five minutes. And why would Pan be down here? This isn't exactly the wild."

I shrug. "Well who knows what's down here? Maybe there's a little piece of the wild in the Labyrinth. There seems to be everything down here."

He sucks in a deep breath. "I don't see any wild."

I roll my eyes. For a second the dread of being here washes away. "Like Annabeth said, we've only been down here for five minutes. I bet that if Pan is down here, then it is because the wild is down here."

The tunnel becomes to fan out. Soon it is wide enough that Tyson can walk normally and we can breathe freely. Grover stops hyperventilating, luckily for him. He was beginning to turn redder than the strawberries in the fields at Camp Halfblood.

We enter a room covered in mosaic tiles cut in random sizes. The pictures on the walls are faded but I can still make out the Olympians having a feast that looks so tempting, even though it is only a picture. They are all there, but they go by different names. These are Roman mosaics. In the middle of the room in a fountain. Inside it is dirt and rust, but it looks like it used to be beautiful. I sit on the side of it and eat a granola bar while Annabeth decides our next course of action. Percy sits next to me and watches Annabeth pace in front of us. Tyson and Grover sit on the opposite sides of Percy and me.

Percy looks at the mosaic with wide eyes. "What is this place? It looks-"

"Roman." Annabeth interrupts. She points up at the pictures. "Those mosaics are probably two thousand years old."

"But how can they be Romans?" Percy asks.

Annabeth sits down next to Grover. "The Labyrinth is a patchwork. It's the only piece of architecture that can grow by itself. It always is adding new pieces and expanding."

Percy smirks. "You make it sound like it's alive."

A loud groan comes from the tunnel in front of us. We all share a look of pure terror. Me more than the others. I already have my sword out and the idea of death on the edge of my thoughts.

"How about we don't talk about is being alive, okay?" Grover pleads. His hands shake slightly in his lap.

She nods once. "Let's keep moving forward." She walks towards the tunnel that the mysterious sound came from.

Tyson plays with the end of his shirt. "Down the hallway with the bad sounds?" He asks. His eye twitches.

"Yeah." Annabeth says. She lifts her chin defiantly. "The architecture is getting older and that's a very good sign. Daedalus's workshop will be in the oldest part of the maze."

"That makes sense." I agree, mostly because I have no other ideas. My hand tightens around the hilt of my sword. "But I really hate the idea of going down that tunnel."

"Of course it does and there's no other choice. Now, keep an eye out for whatever made that sound." She turns on her heels and walks toward the tunnels. We are forced to go after her unless we want to become separated, which is the last thing any of us want.

Grover shakes his head violently. "I agree with you, Rina. I hate the idea of going down this tunnel too." He trips on a stick that happened to be in the middle of the tunnel. Grover yelps and falls flat on his face. Annabeth hushes him and continues to press on. Percy and Tyson help him up so that we can continue going down the scary tunnel.

As if the maze is doing this on purpose to mess with us, the walls progressively get more recent. The tunnel turns back to cement and there is spray paint on the walls.

Percy points towards to neon green letters that spell 'MOZ RULZ' in huge letters. "I don't think that this is Roman."

Annabeth looks at the spray paint. For a second she looks confused and distraught, but quickly hides it behind a stern face that the goddess Athena has. She turns around to continue going down the tunnel, not bothering to pay attention to the spray paint and occasional neon signs.

From that point on, the ground changes from cement, brick, dirt, then back to cement. It's purposefully looking old then suddenly becoming something in a modern subway. I can tell that it's frustrating everyone, not just Annabeth.

She stops suddenly. Everyone else stops and grabs their weapons, unsure why she stopped. I look past her to see a man in a white uniform with glass bottles next to him. Or what used to be a man.

"A milkman." Annabeth mutters.

Percy looks at her. "What?"

"They used to deliver milk to people." I answer.

He frowns. "Yeah, I know what they are but that was like... a million years ago. I think they were around when my mom was little. The question is why is he here?"

Annabeth rattles the glass bottles with her foot. "Some people wander into here by mistake. Some come here on purpose. A long time ago the Cretan people sent people in here for sacrifices. Fascinating stuff, really. Their history is amazing."

"Yeah, fascinating." Grover says sarcastically. He gulps loudly. I turn to see his eyes fixed on the fragile finger bones digging into the wall with small grooves in the stone. The poor man tried to claw his way out of here. "Looks like he was here for a long time."

Tyson shakes his head. "Only bones, goat boy. The milkman is dead."

Grover wrinkles his nose. "The milkman isn't what bothers me. It smells like monsters. A lot of monsters. Can't you smell it too?"

Tyson nods gravely. "A ton of monsters but underground smells like monsters. Monsters and dead milk people."

Grover lets out a whimper. "Oh, that's great. I was hoping that I was wrong."

"It feels like monsters too." I clutch my shirt to myself. Tyson and Grover look at me with a confused expression. I shake my head. "I can't explain it but it feels like a build-up in my stomach. It's a bad feeling." I dig my fist into my gut to try to make the spring-like feeling disappear.

Percy's face grows white. "I feel it too. It's like a jack-in-the-box. Eventually we are going to run into some monster and I really am not looking forward to it."

Annabeth turns towards us. She seems less confident than before. "Maybe we won't run into any monsters for a while. We have to keep moving and get deeper into the maze. There has to be a way to the center."

She guides us through many hallways. All of them looking and feeling different. After a long time of walking, we just end up in the room with the dirty fountain and old mosaics.

There is a person in the middle of the room. Or two people. I don't know which he would prefer. Two faces jut out of his head on two different sides. He leans against the fountain with crossed arms. His face forms a gruesome smile when he sees us.

The left face looks straight at Annabeth. "Well, hurry up Annabeth! Come this way." He gestures a direction with his hand. It's veiny and pale. Disgusting.

His right face scowls. "Don't listen to him. He's _terribly_ rude. Come right this way, miss." Then he gestures in a completely different direction.

Her jaw drops. "Um... I don't... what?" Our hands fall to our weapons. None of us are sure whether we should be trying to kill this mystery person or not.

Tyson frowns at the man. "The funny man has two faces." He says but it sounds more like a question. Tyson leans forward to get a better look.

Both of the faces glare at the cyclops. "The funny man has ears, you know? No respect." He mutters. He walks towards us with a stride as long as a giraffe's. His face turns so that all we see is the left side. "Now, come along." He says with a smirk.

The head turns rapidly so that the right side is facing us. "No, no. Please talk to me." He gestures towards two doors behind him. He wants them to choose. It's Janus. A minor god, but a god no less. The God of Choices. I met him three years ago but he looked much different then. He looked less creepy and more like a kind, old man. Now he looks like a serial killer trying to convince someone to get into his van.

"I know who you are." I narrow my eyes at him.

Both of the faces frown. "That's just swell, but we aren't talking to you, Rina." He waggles his finger at me. "Don't speak when not spoken to, young child. However we will discuss my little debt very shortly after I speak to dear Annabeth." I scowl at the god. _Of course_ he would mention it. Three years ago, Hera accused Janus of hitting on her, which he was. Zeus was furious and was about to burn all the doors in Olympus just to spite him. I came to Janus's precious 'babies' aide and convinced Zeus that burning all the doors was a horrible idea. It would lead to a complete lack of privacy and burning all the doors would just make Janus resentful. Janus has been in my debt since then, but here's the thing. He hates being in debt to people so he has been trying to get me to use up the one favor ever since. He used to just send letters begging me to ask him to do something. But then it escalated to him putting commercials on shows that he knows I will be watching to slamming doors angrily in my face.

Annabeth looks behind us then turns back. Distress is clear on her face. "The exits are closed."

His left face whirls into our view. "Well... Duh!"

Annabeth crosses her arms. She gestures to the two doors. "So, where do they lead?"

The right face smiles at us. It would be almost comforting if he didn't have two faces and if we weren't in the Labyrinth and if he didn't look so creepy. Plus he has a piece of broccoli between his teeth. "Glad you asked! One leads the way you all wish to go. The other is certain death. So delightful."

A sudden realization comes over her face. "I know who you are too."

The left face turns towards us with a sneer. "Oh, you're smart! Just so precious, thinking you know everything. But why don't you just choose one? I don't have all day."

"Stop trying to confuse her, Janus!" I blurt out.

Both of his faces smile hugely. "Was that a request? One that can perhaps pay off a god's debt?"

My lips curl up in distrust. "No but-"

He holds up his hand to silence me. "If you're not talking about the debt then I don't want to speak to you, ischyró éna. This is between dear Annabeth and me." I huff angrily.

Annabeth shakes her head. "Why do you do this?"

The left face bats his eyelashes innocently. "Do what?"

"Try to confuse me!" She cries out. Her voice echoes throughout the room.

The right face gives her a grisly smile. "You're in charge now, my dear Annabeth. All the decisions are on your shoulders. That's what you wanted, isn't it? To be in charge?"

Annabeth pauses. "I-" Before she can say any more, Janus interrupts her.

"We know you. We know what you wrestle with every single day. From the time you wake up to when you go to bed. We know all about your indecision. You will have to make your choice sooner or later, and that choice may very well kill you." The left face says.

The color quickly drains out of Annabeth's face like sand washes away in the waves.

"You don't have to make a choice alone. We can make it together." I tell her.

The man tsks me. "Once again, you aren't involved in this conversation so keep your little mouth shut."

She stares at Janus with wide eyes. "I don't... No..."

Percy places a hand on his pen. Maybe Janus knows this, or maybe not, but Percy is ready to defend us with Riptide. Not that it would do much against the god. "Leave her alone! Who are you, anyways?" He exclaims.

Both of the faces sneer at him. "I'm your best friend." The first face chants with a frown that doesn't match the tone of voice.

"I'm your worst enemy." The second one growls.

"I'm Janus!" Both of the faces say together with an almost harmonic tune. "God of Doorways, Beginnings, Endings, and Choices." He muses.

The right face looks at Percy oddly. "We'll be seeing you soon enough Perseus Jackson. Perhaps we will see Aikarina also. Hopefully to discuss the _debt_." He looks at me out of the corner of his eyes. "But now it's Annabeth's turn." He laughs like a little child. "Such fun!"

The left face turns towards us. "Shut up!" He hisses. "This is serious. One bad choice can ruin your entire life. Not only could it kill you, but all of your friends! No pressure! Choose!"

Percy looks at Annabeth but she doesn't look back. Her eyes are glued to the two doors, trying to figure out which one is the safe way. "Don't do it." He blurts out.

The right face giggles. "I'm afraid she has to."

She moistens her lips and clenches her hands. "I... choose..."

Before Annabeth could choose a door that would lead to life or death, a bright light fills the room. I cover my eyes to shield myself from the rays. When it dies down, there is a woman sitting on the fountain. She's wearing an elegant gown on and her dark brown hair is tied up in a tight bun with a gold ribbon.

"Queen Hera!" I whisper under my breath, recognizing her immediately.

She smiles at me with a smile as sweet as candy. A feeling of relief washes over me. Nothing bad can happen with Hera with us. "Hello, my dear Aikarina." She smiles at Janus with the same kind smile. "Causing trouble again, Janus?"

The right face stares at her with wide, almost fearful eyes. "No, no of course not milady!"

"Yes!" The left face says.

The right face scowls. "Shut up!"

Hera raises a perfect eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Not you milady! I was only talking to myself!" The right face corrects frantically.

Hera nods. "I see. You know very well that your visit is early. The poor girl's time has not yet come, you know that as well as I. So I give _you_ a choice, Janus. Leave the heroes or I shall turn you into a door and break you down." Her eyes flash dangerously at the minor god.

The left face looks at the goddess thoughtfully. "What kind of door?"

The right face frowns. "Shut up!"

The left face completely ignores his other side. "Well, you see, French Doors are rather nice. Lots of natural light." He muses to himself.

"Shut up! Not you, milady. Of course not. I will leave. I was just having a bit of fun. Completely harmless. Doing my job. Offering choices." The right face stutters out.

Hera raises a finger. "Not completely harmless. You were causing indecision. Now, be gone!" She waves her hand at them.

The man grumbles something to himself, twists a silver key in an invisible keyhole and a doorway of light appears. He turns back and glares at me. "But what about my debt to-"

Hera hushes him. "Enough, Janus! Leave!"

One of his faces sticks his tongue out at me. "Beware, Aikarina. I will make a door appear that you never want to see again. _Then_ you'll be begging for me to help you."

"Janus!" Hera warns. Her eyes flash dangerously.

Janus bows his head. "Sorry, milady. I'm leaving now." The god steps into the doorway of light. It collapses around him and everything is as it was.

Hera smiles at us. Her teeth practically glow in the dim light. "You must be hungry. Oh, Aikarina, I have been dying to meet your friends." She muses. With a wave of the hand, she makes the fountain spurt water again and a marble table with plates of food appear in the middle of the room. The smell of vanilla fills the room mixed with the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"Who are you?" Percy asks.

Hera smiles again. "I'm Hera. Queen of Heaven" She gestures towards the table. "Now, join me."

We sit next to her around the table. I didn't realize how hungry I was before I saw the food. Immediately I pile my plate with peanut butter sandwiches and pour a glass of lemonade.

Hera faces me slowly. "Now tell me dear all about that silly prophecy your mother gave to you. I'm incredibly curious about who this 'great love' will be."

Annabeth's eyebrows come together. "Great love?" She questions. Hera hushes her with an unnatural amount of force. The goddess leans towards me in anticipation. A deep seeded feeling of guilt washes over me because I know about as much as her.

I set my food back down on my plate. "I really wish I know. Apollo and Aphrodite are keeping everything from me."

Her mouth forms a slight frown. "Shame. It would be fascinating to know what your mother has in store for you." She lets out a dry laugh. "She is all about silly, tragic love stories. Always have. Always will. Hopefully she hasn't designed such a terrible fate like she has for so many others." Hera looks at all of us with calculating eyes. "Grover, dear. Use your napkin, don't eat it." Hera says softly. She pours him another glass of lemonade.

Grover blushes and sets the ripped up napkin back on the table. "Yes ma'am." He says. Grover takes a bite out of his sandwich, but I think that he would prefer the napkin.

Hera holds out the plate of sandwiches. "Tyson, you're wasting away. Would you like another sandwich?"

Tyson eye grows wide. He stiffens in his chair but takes several more sandwiches. "Yes, nice lady."

Annabeth swallows a piece of her sandwich. "Queen Hera, I can't believe that you're here. Why are you in the Labyrinth?" She asks. Thankfully she decided not to ask anything about the small conversation with Hera.

The goddess smiles. She raises her fingers, as if to snap, then decides against it. "My dear, can you please take care of your friend. She's absolutely messy." I move my hand hesitantly towards Annabeth. The only person I have done my abilities in front of is Nico. I'm not sure if they will react the same way. Hera smile falters. "Well, hurry up."

I place my hand on Annabeth's arm and focus my power to her. The dirt runs off her like raindrops runs off a roof. Her hair straightens itself to a side braid. Each strand of hair is on point. Annabeth looks at me in amazement, along with Percy, Grover, and Tyson. I retract my hand and set it in my lap. I refuse to make eye-contact with anyone.

"Much better. To answer your question, I came to see you. Naturally." Hera answers.

Annabeth's mouth falls open. "I didn't... I didn't think that you liked heroes."

Hera laughs, but it sounds forced. "Because of that one little spat with Hercules? Honestly I get such bad press for one tiny disagreement."

I try to motion Annabeth to stop pressing the issue, but she just ignores me. "Didn't you try to kill him many times?"

Hera waves her hand. Her face has a nice smile but it's wearing thin. "Just water under the bridge, child. Besides he was a child of my _loving _husband with _another_ woman. I'll admit that my patience wore thin. I'm sure you understand. I know that Aikarina does."

I nod but inside I feel completely terrified that Hera is going to drop-kick Annabeth out of the room if she talks about Hercules any more. She almost did that to me once when I was young and curious. Luckily for me, she didn't want to chance staining the floors with my blood.

Her smile grows. "See? But Zeus and I had some wonderful marriage counseling sessions, since then to get back on the right track. We've both aired our feelings and came to an agreement. Especially after the last disagreement."

"You mean Thalia?" Percy says through a bite of peanut butter sandwiches. I kick him under the table but it's too late. The damage is done.

Her smile drops and Hera's eyes turn icy cold. All the kindness she showed before is gone. "Perseus Jackson, isn't it? Or should I say Percy? One of Poseidon's... children." Her lips curl in disgust. "As I recall, I voted for you to live. I hope that I made the right choice." She shifts her gaze to me. Hera rests a hand on my hand, but her face is still icy cold. "And I also recall that I voted for you to live. I would very much appreciate it if you made sure Percy knows his place when talking to a goddess."

I nod. "Yes, Queen Hera." I say knowing that Hera's patience can only stretch so far, and it's not a long distance.

Her face morphs back into a happy expression again. She looks at Annabeth with eyes as warm as the summer. "I certainly bear no ill will towards you, my dear. I appreciate the difficulty you're facing on this quest. Especially when there are trouble makers like Janus to deal with."

Annabeth lowers her gaze to the table. "Why was he here? He was driving me crazy by having me make a choice."

Hera smiles sadly. "You have to understand that the minor gods, like Janus, have always disliked what small part they play in the decisions in Olympus. Some, I fear, have little love for Olympus. That could make it very easy to sway them to support the rise of my father." I just remember that Kronos is her father, along with several other gods. It's really strange when you think about it. "We must watch the other gods. Janus, Hecate, Morpheus, and others swear lip service to Olympus and yet-"

"That's where Dionysus went." Percy interrupts. I kick him under the table, causing him to flinch. Hera glares at him for interrupting her. Percy clears his throat. "He went to check on the minor gods. Is that right, Queen Hera?"

She tears her icy glare off of Percy and back to Annabeth. "You are correct. You see, in times of trouble, even the gods can lose faith. They put their trust in something truly evil and wrong things. They stop looking at the big picture and are terribly selfish. But I'm the Goddess of Marriage so I'm used to perseverance. You have to rise above the chaos and fighting and just believe. You always have to keep your goals in mind."

Annabeth looks at the goddess thoughtfully. "And what are your goals?"

Hera grins, pleased that she asked. "To keep my family, the Olympians, together. At the moment, the best I can do is to help you. Zeus does not let me interfere as much as I would like to, I'm afraid. But every other century or so, when there is a quest that I am deeply invested in, he allows me to grant a wish."

"A wish?"

Hera holds up her hand. "Before you ask, I will give you some advice which is free. I know you seek for Daedalus. This Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But if you truly want to know his fate, then visit my son, Hephaestus in one of his forges. There was never a mortal that my son admired more. Daedalus was such an amazing inventor, so how could he not? If anyone has kept up with the fate of Daedalus, then it is Hephaestus."

Annabeth leans forward. "But how do we get there? My wish is to know how to navigate the maze."

Hera's grin falls. She's disappointed. The goddess claps her hands together. "So be it. However, you wish for something that you already have."

Annabeth shakes her head. "I don't understand."

"The means is already in your grasp." Hera tells us. She looks at Percy. "Percy already knows the answer."

He looks at the goddess in shock. A bit of his sandwich falls out of his mouth. "I do?"

"But that's not fair!" Annabeth complains. "You're not telling me what it is!"

Hera shakes her head slowly. "Getting something and having the wits to use it are two entirely different things. I'm sure your mother, Athena, would agree. You're very intelligent, Annabeth. You will know in time."

"But-" Annabeth starts but is interrupted by a loud rumble of thunder in the distance.

Hera points towards the two doors that mold together into one tunnel. "That's my cue to return to Olympus. Zeus grows impatient. Annabeth, think about what I said. Seek out my son. You will have to pass through the ranch, but keep going. And use all the means at your disposal, no matter how common they may be."

She stands up abruptly. Hera looks at me with a stern expression. "Watch yourself, Aikarina. Decisions are still being made. You have not escaped yet. They may start another trial soon, depending on your future actions." She turns towards Annabeth. "One last thing for you my dear, I have postponed your decision, but I have not prevented it. Soon you will have to choose. Farewell heroes!" She waved her hand and she turned to white smoke, along with the food on the table. The room fades with life and returns to the dirty way it was before Hera showed up.

Annabeth stomps her foot on the ground. "What sort of help was that? 'Here have a sandwich. Make a wish. Oops! I can't help you!'" She throws her hands up in exasperation.

Grover sighs. "Well at least we know that Percy has the answer. That's something." We all look at him. Percy takes in involuntary step back.

"But I don't." He clarifies. "I don't know what she was talking about."

We stay silent until Grover breaks it again. "Rina, what did she mean by the trials and stuff about the 'great love'? She seemed really interested in knowing what it was about."

I take in a deep breath. The last thing I want is to tell them and have all of them treat me differently, for better or worse. I shrug. "It's not important."

Grover's eyebrows come together. "It sounded pretty-"

"It's not." I snap. I turn towards one of the tunnels. "Come on. We have to keep going. There is still a lot of distance to cover."

Annabeth nods. "Rina's right. We have to start moving."

"Which way?" Percy asks.

Grover and Tyson look at each other with wide eyes. "Left." They say in unison.

Annabeth frowns. "How can you be sure?"

Grover shakes slightly in his spot. "Because something big is coming from the right."

"Left sounds pretty good." Percy says. We all turn to the left tunnel and plunge into the darkness.

* * *

We start sprinting the minute we hear the loud breathing and shuffling of many feet. Something big is behind us. It's so big that I can hear it's sides smack the walls like raw steak. The tunnel is straight and very dark. Percy's flashlight barely lights a foot in front of him so I am very grateful for Apollo's gift. It seems to power through the darkness and lights our way, but there is no way that I'm looking behind us.

We stop right in front of a boulder that blocks the rest of the tunnel. My heart jumps into my throat.

Percy turns towards Tyson. "Tyson, can you-"

"Yes!" He exclaims before Percy finishes. Tyson slams his shoulder against the boulder. The tunnel shakes and dust lands on top of us. The monster is still coming closer.

"Hurry!" Grover exclaims. He chews on the edge of his shirt nervously. "Please don't collapse the tunnel, but hurry!"

Tyson grunts before slamming into the boulder again. It finally gives way to a small room. The grinding noise is so terrible that it feels like my ears are bleeding. Together we push the boulder back into place. Whatever that was on the other side sounds disappointed. It lets out a wail of frustration.

"We trapped it." Percy gasps out.

Grover's eyes grow wide. "Or trapped ourselves."

I turn around to see us in a prison cell. Outside there are cell doors in straight rows that go on for what seems like miles. Several floors of cells actually. Annabeth turns off the light and hands it to me, just in case there are monsters in here. Because it is so dark and creepy, it seems like a place where monsters would hide. I wouldn't be surprised if something pops out to kill us.

Annabeth tugs on the bars. They creek but no other sign of them loosening. "What the Hades?" Annabeth says. She smacks her hand on the bar in frustration.

I look around the edge of the cell for anything that we can use to escape. Nothing. Nothing at all except dust.

Percy rubs the back of his head. "Looks like a prison. Maybe Tyson can break-"

Grover holds up his hand. "Quiet. Listen."

I strain my ears to listen. There seems to be a sobbing noise coming above us. There's also another noise that sounds like gears grinding together. It's like nothing I have ever heard before but it seems like some sort of language.

"What's that language?" Percy asks, asking the question I was wondering myself.

"I don't know. It sounds weird though. Maybe if we get closer then we can figure it out." I answer.

Tyson's eyes widen in surprise. "Can't be." He mutters. He grabs two bars and pries them wide enough for him to go through.

"Wait!" Grover calls out but Tyson doesn't even turn around. The second he is out of the cell, Tyson is dashing down the hallways towards the sobs.

We go through the gap that he made in the cell with ease. If it's big enough for Tyson then it is more than wide enough for us. The lights flicker and give the prison the appearance of something from a horror movie. It's very dim but I don't dare turn on my flashlight in case something sees it, but it would be nice to have extra light.

"I know this place." Annabeth says. She looks at the walls, as if to confirm her thoughts. "This is Alcatraz."

"You mean the island near San Francisco?" Percy asks.

She nods.

"Are you sure?" I wonder.

Annabeth nods again. "My class took a field trip here. I know where I am. This whole place is like a huge museum."

"Stop." Grover commands but Tyson keeps going. Grover leaps forward and tugs on his arm. Tyson reluctantly stops. "Don't you see it?"

I follow his finger to a monster across the courtyard. From the waist up she is a woman but below she is like a dragon. Her tail wraps around her like a coil of wire. Her legs sprout snakes that hiss at each other. Her hair is also made of snakes. But the most shocking thing about her is that along her waist her skin bubbles to form different beasts.

Tyson and I gasp. My hand instinctively climbs to my sword. Instead of feeling frightened, I feel adrenaline rush through me if there is a fight. It's weird that I'm scared of the Labyrinth but don't even bat an eye when I see such a terrible creature as her. "I can't believe it's her. It's really her." I whisper. Tyson nods in agreement. I swear I see him shake slightly in his spot.

Grover places a hand on our shoulders. "Get down!" He hisses. We duck just in time.

Kampê strides over to a cell where the sobbing is coming from. She speaks to the prisoner with the same language she used before. Her voice sounds much more rough and cruel up close.

Percy watches her carefully, as if he's trying to see if a monster like that has any weaknesses. "What is she saying? What language is it?"

Tyson shivers. "The tongue of old times. What Mother Earth spoke to her children... before the gods. She's saying some very scary things."

I look at the cyclops in surprise. "How do you understand what she's saying?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. I just can."

"Can you translate it?" Percy asks.

Annabeth shudders. She closes her eyes as if she is in pain. "I hate when he does that."

I don't know what she means until I hear Tyson speak with the same scratchy voice as Kampê. All cyclopes have the ability to mimic voices, but I have never witnessed it in person. I'm with Annabeth on this one. It's just creepy.

"I will not serve." Tyson says in a wounded voice that is obviously not Kampê.

"Then I shall enjoy your pain, Briares." Tyson falters when he says the name. It sounds familiar but I can't quite place where I heard it. Tyson seems to know who it is because it takes him several moments to recover. "If you thought your first imprisonment was truly unbearable, then wait for your next punishment. You have yet to feel true torment. Think on this until I return." She hisses. Tyson snaps out of his trance-like state.

Kampê extends her wings that look like they belong to a bat, then leaps out of the courtyard. She soars across the courtyard with as much as grace as a chicken learning to fly. When she lands, a blast of wind nearly knocks us over. Then she disappears around the corner.

Grover bites nervously on the collar of his shirt. "H-H-Horrible. I have never smelt a monster as strong as that, and I never want to again!"

"Cyclopes's worst nightmare." Tyson mumbles under his breath.

Percy looks at his brother. "Who?"

"Kampê." I answer.

Tyson gulps at her very name. He looks absolutely terrified of her but he isn't freaking out like I thought he would. "Every cyclops knows about her. Stories were meant to scare us as babies. She was our jailer during the bad years." Tyson tells us.

I nod and continue to elaborate. "She's incredibly powerful. When the Titans ruled, they imprisoned Gaia and Ourano's children. Like the cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires."

Percy's eyebrows knit together. "The Heka-whats?"

Annabeth sighs. "The Hundred-Handed ones. They were called that because... well they had a hundred hands. They are the elder brother of the cyclops."

It's as if Tyson does a complete flip of emotions. His eyes glisten with pride. "Very powerful and wonderful! As tall as the sky! So strong that they could break a mountain! Amazing!"

Percy smiles. "Very cool, unless you're a mountain."

"Kampê was the jailer." Tyson explains. "She worked for Kronos. She kept our brothers locked in Tartarus. She tortured them always until Zeus came. He killed Kampê and freed the cyclops and the Hundred-Handed ones to fight against the Titans."

"And now she's back." Percy concludes.

I nod. "And that is bad."

"Very bad." Tyson adds.

There is a moment of silence until Percy breaks it. "You said another name. Who's in the cell?"

Tyson perks up immediately. "Briares! He is a Hundred-Handed one!" He says excitedly.

Annabeth smooths out her jeans which only makes two longs streaks of mud on the denim. "Well, we should check it out before Kampê comes back."

Grover stands up nervously. "Yeah, before she comes back is best."

We walk up the catwalk and towards the cell. The crying gets louder and louder until we are right in front of Briares himself. He looks unnaturally pale and skinnier than he should. Briares also looks like he hasn't taken a bath in a long time. His hands mindlessly bend metal into different things. It amazes me how he is so skilled with metal and he isn't even thinking about it. He covers his face with several of his hands to hide his sobs so he hasn't seen us yet.

Tyson gets down on his knees before him. "Braires!" He exclaims. Almost immediately the sobbing stops. Briares peeks at Tyson through his hands. "Great Hundred-Handed One! Help us!"

He removes his hands from his face. Briares looks miserable. A hand wipes several stray tears from his cheeks. "Run while you can, young cyclops. I cannot even help myself so how can I help others?" He lets out a choked sob.

Tyson seems less excited as before but still keeps his same optimism. "You are a Hundred-Handed One! You can do anything!"

"I cannot!" Briares wails. "The dreaded Kampê is back! All is lost. The Titans will rise again and throw us all in Tartarus!"

Tyson points a demanding finger at him. "Put on your brave face." He commands.

His face morphs to one that looks smug and confident. All his facial features change except for his eyes that are the same dark brown. As soon as the new face appears, it changes back to a sad one. Briares groans. "No good. My scared face always comes back." One of his hands fidgets nervously. It claws into the ground, as if it's trying to dig its way out of here. It reminds me of Chris. Both of them are scared and unconsciously searching for an escape.

Percy looks at him in amazement. "How did you do that?"

Annabeth and I both elbow him in the ribs for being rude. Percy glares at us but is confused why we elbowed him.

"Don't be rude. All the Hundred-Handed Ones have about fifty faces. They can switch between them." Annabeth tells him.

"Must be hard to get a yearbook picture." Percy comments quietly. It takes a lot of self-control to not laugh. I dig my nails into my leg so that Briares doesn't think I'm laughing at him. The last thing I want is to offend an already emotionally vulnerable Hundred-Handed One.

Tyson stands up but is still entranced by Briares. "It will be okay! We can help you! Can I have your autograph?" Tyson gasps out.

Briares looks at the cyclops thoughtfully. "Do you have a hundred pens?"

I dig into my purse and pull out three. "I have three pens. Is that good enough?" I hold them out to Tyson who eagerly takes them. He places one in one of Briares's hands. He starts to write an autograph when Grover interrupts.

"Guys, we have to get of here. Kampê will be back and she will sense us sooner or later." Grover reminds us. He watches the courtyard intensely for any sign of her returning.

"Break the bars." Annabeth suggests. "Briares, you should break the bars."

Tyson gives him a large toothed grin. "Yes! Briares is strong! Stronger than any cyclops! He can break the bars easily!" He proclaims.

Briares lets out a pitiful whimper. If anything he seems to cower in the corner of his cell even more.

"If he's so strong, then why is he stuck in jail?" Percy wonders out loud.

Annabeth and I both elbow him in the ribs again.

"He's scared." I whisper to him. "Terrified actually, and I don't blame him. Kampê kept him in Tartarus for thousands of years. He has every right to be scared. I know I would be if I were him."

Briares covers his face again with several hands. He lets out a sound that sounds like a mix of a sob and a hyena's laugh.

Tyson's hopeful smile washes off of his face. He looks up at his role model in concern. "What-what's wrong? Show us your strength. We want to see how strong you are!"

There are several moments of silence. The only sound is Briares silent tears and our breathing.

I gently touch Tyson's arm as a sort of support. Annabeth clears her throat awkwardly. "Tyson, you better just break the bars." She tells him quietly.

He nods hesitantly. "I will break the bars." He says. He walks towards the cell slowly, giving Briares a chance to break the bars himself but he doesn't move towards them like the cyclopes hopes. Tyson grabs the cell door and breaks it off the hinges.

Annabeth holds out her hand and gives the Hundred-Handed One a reassuring smile. "Come on, Briares. Let's go."

His face morphs to a happy one. It's so filled with joy that I unconsciously smiles to. Several of his hands reach for Annabeth's, but twice as many slap them away. As soon as it appeared, his happy face turns into a terrified one.

Briares leans against the cement wall. "I cannot leave. She will punish me if I do."

Annabeth steps towards him. "It's alright. You fought the Titans before and won! Remember?"

His face morphs to a mournful one. Briares frowns at the floor of the cell. "I remember the war clearly. Lightning shook the world. Many people died. We threw many rocks. The Titans almost won. They're getting stronger. Kampê said so."

Percy shakes his head. "Don't listen to anything she says. Now, come on!"

Briares doesn't move an inch.

"One game of rock, paper, scissors." Percy blurts out. Annabeth and I share a concerned look while Grover looks like he's about to faint. "If I win, then you'll come with us. If I lose, we'll leave you in jail."

"I don't think that is a good idea." I hiss at him but Percy ignores me.

Briares looks at Percy doubtfully. "But I always win rock, paper, scissors."

Percy smiles. "Then let's do this!"

He pounds his fist on his palm three times. Briares does the same, his hundred hands in perfect synch. It sounds like thousands of rocks falling at the same time. Briares didn't choose one of the choices for all of his hands. No, there are dozens of papers, rocks, and scissors. There is no way that Percy would've won.

I look down at Percy's hand to see it shaped as a gun. What?

Briares sniffles. "I told you I always win. You should've-" He pauses. With narrowed eyes he stares at Percy's 'gun'. "What is that?"

Percy holds up his hand. "A gun. And a gun beats everything, so I win."

Briares rubs his nose with several hands and sniffles. He reluctantly gets out of the cell. "Demigods are cheaters." He shuffles behind us as we walk down the catwalk. Suddenly we all freeze. Right below us is a very angry Kampê. The snakes on her let out a hiss of distaste when they see us and a lion on her waist roars angrily.

"The other way!" Percy yells. We pivot and run in the opposite way from Kampê. Briares immediately takes the lead with all his hands waving in panic. I can't see his face but I'm sure he's bawling.

I feel a burst of wind from Kampê taking flight. It takes a lot of concentration to not look back, but not knowing how close she is makes me run faster than ever before. Deep down I want to turn around and fight her myself, but I can only imagine Athena yelling me about how reckless that would be and that I would most likely die a painful death. Plus, I'm sure I would disappoint Apollo and Athena for dying in such a dumb way. I think even Ares would be more disappointed than usual if I died that way.

We stumble down a flight of stairs. Annabeth would've fallen head first down them if Percy hadn't pulled her back in time. We run through several dark corridors and past a guard station. All the while we're running, Kampê is in hot pursuit. The sounds of the animals on her belt get louder with ever second that goes by.

Annabeth points towards a T in the hallway. "Go left! I remember this from the tour!" She gasps out.

Briares flings open a set of metal doors and we find ourselves outside in the prison yard. We're surrounded by a fence with barbed wire on top. Everywhere we look there are tourists taking pictures or buying souvenirs. Not a single one of them are aware of the approaching danger.

I look towards the north. Mount Tamalpais is surrounded by dark clouds that circle it slowly. It looks very daunting. I'm unsettled just looking at it. It's amazing that the mortal can't see a single thing that I'm seeing. And if they do, then it's so clouded by the mist that it's something completely different.

Annabeth blocks the sun with her hand and looks towards the mountain. She frowns. "It's even worse than before. The storms have been bad all year but now..."

Briares lets out a sob. He glances towards the metal doors anxiously. "Keep moving! She's right behind us!" He wails.

We run to the far end of the yard, only to be blocked by a fence. At least we are as far away from the door as possible.

"We should be safe. Kampê is too big for the door." Percy muses hopefully.

Then the wall explodes.

Tourists let out loud screams when Kampê bursts through the prison wall but I can't be sure what they're seeing because of the mist. I take out my sword but quickly see that it won't do anything against her two scimitars. A weird green vapor surrounds them that puts a sour taste in my mouth.

Grover lets out a yelp. "Poison! Don't let the swords touch you or you will-"

"Die?" Percy finishes.

Grover tilts his head thoughtfully for a second. "Well yeah, that too. But first you will shrivel up to dust."

Percy nods his head confidently. "I say that we avoid the swords."

Kampê lets out a terrible screech that is about as awful as a thousand forks scratching at a plate. Her eyes narrow in on us like a heat-seeking missile. Suddenly she thunders towards us with her dragon legs. The ground shakes with every stomp.

"Run." Annabeth says calmly, but I don't see how she can sound so calm in a time like this. We immediately run out of the prison yard and out of the prison gates with Kampê right on our tail. Tourists push each other to get to the ferry as fast as they can. There are sirens surrounding us but I'm not sure where they're coming from.

"The boat?" Grover suggests. He looks over his shoulder but immediately regrets it. Grover's face is pure white with fear.

Tyson shakes his head. "Too slow. Back to the maze."

"We need a diversion, then." I tell them. "We won't be able to get back to the maze without one."

Tyson rips a lamppost straight out of the ground like it was nothing. "I will distract Kampê. You all run ahead." He sets his lips into a straight, definitive line. There is no changing his mind.

Percy starts to take out Riptide. "I'll help you."

He shakes his head. "No. Go. Poison will hurt, but not kill."

Percy looks between us and Tyson. He doesn't want to let Tyson do this, and I can't blame him. "Are you sure?" He asks.

"Go. I will meet you inside, brother."

We each take one of Briares hands so that he doesn't stay frozen in place. With a lot of strength we are able to drag him to the concession stand. The whole time he drags his feet and stares at Kampê with wide, terrified eyes.

"Briares! Run!" I hiss at him. That seems to break him out of his terrified trance. He pulls away from our grip and runs faster than before towards the entrance of the Labyrinth, though I have no idea how he knows where it is.

I hear sounds of metal crunching but I don't look back. Whatever is happening, I hope Tyson is okay.

"Won't make it." Briares huffs out. His face morphs to a mournful one, as if he's already picturing what our burial shrouds will look like.

I have never seen Percy look so irritated. "Tyson is risking his life for you! You _will_ make it!" He yells.

We reach the door to the cellblock. I glance over my shoulder to see Tyson sprinting towards us with a very angry Kampê behind him. During their fight she was somehow covered in ice cream and dressed in a variety of Alcatraz souvenirs. If I wasn't terrified for all of our lives, I would've laughed.

Annabeth swings open the door. "Hurry." She tells us but it isn't necessary. Briares is already halfway down the corridor, screaming as he's running.

It takes long time but we find the cell we came in. The bars are still bent like we last saw them. Percy runs his hand over the wall. "It's gone!"

Annabeth shakes her head. She runs her hands over the wall, searching for something. "Look for the mark of Daedalus!"

Grover lets out a sigh. He points at a symbol. "There!" It turns a faint blue when he presses his finger on it. The stone wall grinds open like an old door. It takes both Percy's and my combined effort to push Briares into the maze. He's muttering something about it being dark and more monsters. Annabeth and Grover don't need any other motivation than the approaching Kampê to enter through the door.

Percy looks out of the door. I look over his shoulder to see Tyson running for his life. Kampê swings her sword, leaving a cloud of poison that barely misses him. He's going too slow. There's no way he's going to make it in time.

Percy must realize this because he sets a determined look on his face. He taps his wristwatch which transforms into a shield. With a very accurate throw, he hits Kampê straight in the face with it. She stumbles back in surprise, giving Tyson enough time to barrel through the entrance.

The door closes right before Kampê gets through. She pounds on the door angrily. Hopefully she can't open it, but we aren't going to stay and find out. I have never been happier to be in this stupid maze.

Annabeth takes my flashlight and leads the way. We run past several traps and through many hallways until we reach a room with waterfalls along the wall. There is a large pit in the middle that gives me a gut-wrenching feeling but we are at a comfortable distance from the entrance to Alcatraz.

I take my water bottle out of my purse and fill it with water. After a thorough examination, I decide that the water is good enough to drink. Hopefully it doesn't have a poison in it that makes me die a slow and painful death but you can never be too sure.

Briares slumps against the wall. The water pools around him but Briares doesn't care. "That pit goes straight to Tartarus. I should just jump in and save you all the trouble." He mutters bitterly.

Annabeth takes a step towards him. "Don't talk that way, Briares. You can come back to camp with us and help us prepare for battle. You know more about fighting the Titans than anybody." She tells him but her words don't seem to be getting through.

Briares lets out a whimper at the mention of the Titans. "I have nothing to offer. There is no need for me."

Tyson steps forward. He looks like he wants to reach out to Briares but he isn't sure how. "There is always a need for the Hundred-Handed Ones! What about your brothers?" Tyson's face turns to a dream-like one. "They must stand as tall as a mountain. Maybe taller! We can take you to them."

Briares looks away but none of us mistake the grief in his face. "They have long faded" He tells us.

There is a long silence. The only sound is of water gushing into Tartarus.

Percy clears his throat. "What do you mean by 'faded'? I thought monsters were immortal like the gods."

I shuffle my feet on the ground. "Even immortality has its limits. Eventually everything has its end."

"Sometimes monsters become forgotten and they lose their will to live. It's really sad, actually." Grover mutters. From the look in his eyes I'm sure that he is thinking about Pan, God of the Wild.

"I must go." Briares says.

"But, what about Kronos's army?" I say, angry at Briares for only thinking about himself. I have to clench my fists to keep myself from going to slap some sense into him.

Tyson steps forward but Briares takes a step back. "We need your help. You're strong and powerful!" He tries to say confidently but his voice falters.

Briares hangs his head in shame. "I cannot, my dear Cyclops." He looks back up at me momentarily before looking back at his feet.

He starts to move away from us but Tyson is not going to let him leave so easily. "You're strong. Nobody is stronger than you."

Briares pauses but then continues to leave. "Not anymore."

"Hey!" Percy says. He grabs one of his arms and pulls Briares where we can't hear them over the roar of the waterfalls. Percy looks agitated while Briares seems like he's going to cry any second. When he starts to leave, Percy tells him one last thing. "Maybe that's why monsters fade. Maybe it's not what the mortals believe. Maybe it's all because you give up on yourself."

He doesn't say anything back. Briares dips his head and disappears into the shadows of the Labyrinth.

Tyson lets out a sob. Grover gathers up the courage and says several encouraging things to Tyson. Despite all the kind words, Tyson doesn't seem to feel any better. Poor guy.

Annabeth stands up. She eyes the pit nervously. Maybe she feels the same feeling I do. Annabeth looks up at me. "Where do you think we should make camp?" She asks me. "There aren't many safe places here, if there are any."

"We can't stay here, though." I answer. "There's no way that I'm sleeping next to the pit of Tartarus."

Annabeth nods in agreement. She picks up her pack. "Come on. I don't like hanging around the pit. It's making me feel nervous. Let's find a place to camp for the night."

"If it is even night." Percy mutters to himself. There's no way to know since the sky is blocked out by the maze, but nobody seems to be against idea of sleeping for a while, so we press on.

* * *

**Next update there will be a 'flashback' of one of the things that happened to Clarisse and Rina in the maze so look forward to that! Thank you for reading my story. It would make me so happy if you guys would favorite/review/follow my story. Thanks!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you guys for your support of this story! It really makes my day to see a review or that someone favorite/followed! Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of the Percy Jackson series. I only own Rina, Tyler, Ava, and potential future characters.**

**This is sort of a long chapter but I hope you like it!**

* * *

_I glance down at the map. There is a red X where Annabeth said that the entrance to the Labyrinth is. She made sure to label the map clearly and precisely. I then look up at the door in the bottom of an abandoned department store. It doesn't look special. Just a door to the back room, but to the right of the door is the symbol of Daedalus. This is it._

_"You sure this is the place?" Clarisse asks after she comes back from checking the store for monsters. She runs her hand along the door, clearly expecting it to be so much more extravagant for it being the entrance to the Labyrinth. But it isn't much different than the entrance in Phoenix.  
_

_I nod. "Positive. Right where Annabeth marked it for us."_

_Clarisse frowns. "What if he was lying? What if he told Annabeth the wrong place and he just led us to another dead-end?"_

_I point towards the symbol of Daedalus near the entrance. "No, I'm pretty sure this is right."_

_She takes out a pump bottle and a drachma out of her duffel bag. Clarisse hands me the bottle._

_"Better tell Chiron we found it." She mutters._

_I pump the water, ignoring the cramp that I'm already feeling in my hand. A shimmer of a rainbow appears in the small amount of water.  
_

_Clarisse closes her eyes, deep in concentration. "Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Chiron. Halfblood Hill" She lightly tosses the drachma in the water. It disappears with a small shimmer of light.  
_

_The mist forms a picture of Chiron yelling at several young campers for trying to shoot at him with their bow and arrows. There are two arrows tangled in his tail and Chiron is holding half of an arrow in one hand and the other half in his left hand. They all giggle when they see the message. Chiron turns around to see what is so funny. He nearly falls over in surprise when he sees us. The Centaur straightens himself immediately.  
_

_"Hello Clarisse and Rina. I trust that all is well." Chiron says carefully._

_"We found the entrance." Clarisse bluntly tells him, not wanting to say more, just in case other campers get curious. The last thing we want is for there to be mass panic that an entrance to the Labyrinth has been found.  
_

_Chiron nods approvingly. "Good. Can you close it off somehow?"_

_She shakes her head. "Tried that in Phoenix. The entrance just moved several feet. There is no way that we can block it."_

_He thinks for several moments. "Alright. Then just return back to camp."_

_Clarisse mouth falls open in surprise. "Just return back to camp? But Chiron-"_

_Chiron frowns at the Daughter of Ares. "No. There is nothing more we can do. Return to camp immediately." I have never heard him sound so serious._

_The water in the bottle runs out, letting the Iris message collapse on itself. I place it in the bag and take out a spray paint bottle. I shake it then spray the message 'DO NOT ENTER' over the door. Within seconds the paint dissolves into the door and it's as it was before, which wasn't very clean.  
_

_"Great." I mutter. I settle for writing the message on the wall next to the door. This time the Labyrinth doesn't make it disappear. At least there is a warning in case somebody gets a little too curious.  
_

_Clarisse kicks her bag in frustration. "How can we just return to camp after we found another entrance?" She exclaims._

_I shrug. "Chiron said so. Maybe he's right. There's nothing more that we can do but go back to camp. There's really no reason for us to stay here. We should get back so that we can train the new campers." I say, knowing that this is the wisest choice. Annabeth must be rubbing off on me.  
_

_She looks at me in disbelief. "And what? Wait for someone to accidentally stumble down here?" Clarisse holds up a finger in thought. "You know, I've never tried bringing it down from the inside."_

_"That will never work." I cross my arms.  
_

_Clarisse shakes her head. "It could, though. I've tried everything that I could think of. Dynamite, a wrecking ball... but I've never tried to bring down an entrance from the inside."_

_"What makes you think that destroying the entrance from the inside will work?"_

_Clarisse shrugs. She tugs open the door that leads the way into the dark abyss. "You never know. Might as well try." Clarisse smirks, looking shockingly like her father.  
_

_"Clarisse," I warn, knowing that if she goes into the Labyrinth, I'm coming too._

_She rolls her eyes. "Come on, I thought you were brave. It's not like we're going to go far into the maze. Just right outside the entrance" Clarisse goes into the entrance, leaving me behind. Without a moment of hesitation, I follow her._

_It's so dark and immediately I wish that I brought the flashlight Apollo gave me. It would be very helpful._

_"Clarisse?" I call out. I wave my hands in front of me, just in case she is standing next to me. I only grab fistfuls of darkness.  
_

_There is a moment of silence then a voice. "Over here." I hear Clarisse flip a lighter and then see the flame. I stumble through the dark hallway to her. The small flame isn't strong enough to make even a dent in the dark but it's bright enough to light her face.  
_

_I hear shuffling and the un-zipping of a bag. Clarisse brings something up to the light and I see that it's dynamite._

_Her eyes light up in a similar way that Ares's would. For a moment there seems to be flames dancing behind her eyelids. "So I'll light this and we'll run along the closest wall so that we don't lose our way back to the entrance. Okay?"_

_I lick my chapped lips. "If this works, then how are we going to get back out?"_

_Clarisse glares at me. "If it does work, then we just did everyone a great service. We'll just find another entrance that we can leave out of. It can't be that hard. Plus, when we return, we will be treated like heroes!"_

_I shake my head, still not liking the idea, but it's too late. She lights the fuse. Clarisse grabs my arm and we run along the side of the wall. The dynamite explodes, shaking the tunnel. Dust falls from the ceiling. So much that it seems like the Labyrinth is going to collapse. The ground shakes so much that I thought it would rip in half.  
_

_"Now to trace back our steps." Clarisse mutters. She starts walking then stops. I hear her gasp. Her hand involuntarily tightens around mine.  
_

_"What is it?" I ask since it is too dark for either of us to see anything.  
_

_"The wall... it's gone." She whispers but her voice seems amplified in the darkness.  
_

_My heart beats faster. "What do you mean it's missing? A wall can't just disappear." Just to make sure, I reach my hand out to where the wall was just seconds ago.  
_

_There is a long moment of silence. "No, you're right. Walls do not just disappear. Maybe I just walked a little off course." She doesn't sound so sure, but we continue to walk forward. After several minutes of walking, I stop._

_"Didn't Annabeth say that the tunnel purposefully messes with you?" I ask.  
_

_"Yeah, she did." Clarisse answers._

_I place one hand on my knife. I wish that I brought a sword with me. This knife is not enough to defend us properly in the Labyrinth. "Well, what if the tunnel changed just to mess with us? So the entrance that was a couple of feet from us is no longer there."_

_I hear her mutter several Greek curses under her breath. "How could I be such an idiot?" She hisses to herself._

_I grip Clarisse's hand harder. Deep in my gut I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen. It's like a spring in my stomach. "It's not your fault."_

_"Yes it is." She snaps back. "And I brought you down with me. I will get us out. I promise. Like I said before, it can't be too hard finding another entrance. There are literally thousands of tunnels. Some of them are bound to have a way out."_

_Clarisse flips the lighter, but the small flame does barely anything to light our way. We try to trace our path by running our hands along the wall, but the Labyrinth changes everything. After our second time around the room, we realize that it is circular with no exits. But maybe now that we know it is circular, the maze will simply change the shape of the room so that we are even more disoriented.  
_

_"Feel around the walls somewhere. There has to be an exit to this room." I tell Clarisse. Together we run our hands along the wall, but can't find an exit._

_I'm about to say something else when I hear a shuffling on the other side of the room, somewhere in the darkness. There's something in here with us. Clarisse must've heard the same thing because I hear her grab her sword. I hold out my dagger, hoping that it will be enough but being in pitch-black darkness makes our chances close to none to win a fight.  
_

_We hear the shuffling get quieter then it let out a groan that sounds like an elderly man._

_"If we can't see it, then it can't see us. We should be able to sneak by it." Clarisse whispers. The minute she finishes her sentence, I feel a strong force push me from behind. I accidentally let go of Clarisse during my fall. The Labyrinth explodes with light. It's such a sudden change that it nearly blinds me.  
_

_"Clarisse?" I shout. She isn't in the room with me anymore. When my eyes adjust, I see a wooden door several feet away from me. It is wide open._

_"Clarisse?" I hear me shout, but it's not me. It's my voice but I didn't say it._

_I dash through the door._

_"Rina? Where are you?" I hear Clarisse shout right around the corner._

_I hold out my knife and look around the corner. Before me is a large monster with the body of a stag, neck like a lion, wide mouth with sharp teeth, and a long tail. It opens its mouth, as if to smile. "Rina!" It yells, imitating Clarisse's voice perfectly._

_I yelp as it lunges for me. I jab at it with my dagger but miss it completely. It's too fast for me. I sharply turn the corner. The monster's tail flicks with irritation. Unfortunately for it, I won't be an easy meal. It dashes after me at such a high-speed that it slams into the opposite wall with a crunch. It keeps running after me but I keep turning the sharp corners of the maze. The monster can't turn corners very well, which is the only reason that I'm still alive.  
_

_"Clarisse!" I shout. "I don't know if you can hear me but it's a Leukrokottas! It can imitate our voices like Cyclopes can!" Hopefully Clarisse heard me and knows what we're up against. And hopefully we aren't so separated from each other that we will be able to find each other again._

_"Rina! It's got me! Help!" I hear Clarisse screech. Every bone in my body wants to run towards the voice but there is no way knowing whether it is really her or not.  
_

_I slow my sprint into a small jog. The Labyrinth is kind enough to light the tunnels for me so that I'm not stumbling through the dark. Or maybe it's so cruel that it wants me to see the Leukrokottas teeth lung at my throat and watch myself slowly die.  
_

_Up ahead I hear footsteps. I hide around the corner with my knife ready. At the last second I whip around the stone corner and bring the knife towards my potential attacker._

_Clarisse dodges my stab. She holds my wrist so tight that I feel like she's going to break it. Her face is full of scratches and there is a large wound on her leg. Her jeans are soaked with blood.  
_

_"Clarisse!" I exclaim._

_She lets out a sigh of relief when she sees it's me. She drops my wrist. I notice that her hands are red with blood from applying pressure to the wound on her leg. I move her hand so that I can get a better look. The scratch turns out to look more like a bite mark, matching the Leukrokottas's mouth perfectly._

_Once again I curse how unprepared we are. We didn't plan to go in the Labyrinth so we didn't bring any ambrosia, food, or water. Nothing but several knives, dynamite, and spray paint. I take off my sweatshirt and put it over the wound to stop her from bleeding out. Clarisse hisses at the pain but otherwise doesn't say anything.  
_

_"What happened?" I ask._

_"What did you think happened?" She snaps. "I heard you yell for me and instead of you, I saw that genetic mistake!" Clarisse hisses again as I apply more pressure to her wound. "Be careful, will you!"  
_

_I glare at her. "I'm not a Child of Apollo, you know! I'm doing the best I can. The monster is a Leukrokottas. It imitates people's voices to lure them to where it can kill them. We're lucky that we got away."_

_Clarisse shakes her head. "I'm not so sure. I didn't kill it. Did you?"_

_I shake my head. There is a shuffle behind us. We whip around just in time to see its tail go behind a corner._

_Her eyes grow wide in the dim light. "Duck!" I crouch down just in time for Clarisse's sword to swing over my head. I stand up with my dagger ready. "It's too fast." She tells me. We turn back to back with our weapons drawn. Eventually it will have to come out to get us. And when it does, we will be ready.  
_

_"Help me! Help!" A young girl screams. It sounds so real but I know it's just one of the Leukrokottas's past victims. "Don't let it kill me!"_

_I look the direction that the cries are coming from. The minute I turn my head, I feel a sharp sting and I fall towards the ground. Clarisse says something but it comes out as a gasp. All I can concentrate is the darkness crawling into my vision. I raise my hand to the side of my head. My hand is covered in fresh blood. It almost shimmers in the light.  
_

_Slowly my vision becomes clearer and the throbbing in my head calms down. I am able to lift my head high enough to see Clarisse jabbing her sword at the Leukrokottas. She's doing very well but it's too fast. It hasn't noticed me yet, so I have a chance._

_I grab my dagger that I dropped during my fall. Clarisse sees me out of the corner of her eye. She moves so the monster has its back to me. It snaps its mouth and nearly takes off Clarisse's arm, but she was ready for it. Clarisse smacks it in the face with the blunt side of her sword. It stumbles back and I drive my knife into its bony back. The Leukrokottas lets out a strangled whine then crumbles into dust._

_Clarisse wipes a bead of sweat off of her forehead. "Good work. Now let's find our way out of this stupid maze."_

I feel a sharp poke in my sides. Instantly I wake up and have whoever is poking me pinned to the floor with a knife to their neck. When my eyes adjust I see that it's only Percy. Wow. This is happening _way_ too often.

Percy looks down at the dagger. I'm sure that if his arms weren't pinned underneath his own body, he would be raising them like he's innocent. "Not a monster. Just me." He says. He looks absolutely exhausted, even if there is a blade to his throat. I'm sure that if he closes his eyes for too long, he'll fall asleep like this.

I quickly get off of him. "What time is it?" I ask, still groggy from sleeping.

Percy shrugs. "I don't know but it's your turn to take watch. Wake Grover up in two hours so that you can get more sleep then it will be Tyson's turn to take watch."

I nod. I grab my flashlight that we have been using then slump against the wall. Percy falls asleep almost immediately.

Every so often I would hear a sound and my paranoid self would assume the worse. My whole watch was spent with me being incredibly paranoid which I guess isn't a bad thing to be considering where I am. But I would turn at every noise. It all reminds me of when I was in the maze with Clarisse.

The only difference between then and now is then we were constantly trying to get out of the maze. Now we're trying to get deeper. The fact that I'm purposefully diving into the place where nightmares come to life scares me so much. I'm terrified. I'm absolutely terrified. The others may be scared, but they aren't as frightened of this place as I am. They haven't experienced the horrors. They haven't felt the true effects.

I lean my head against the wall and take a deep breath. My hands shake out of my control. The memories of the maze don't affect me like they affect Clarisse. She still has nightmares about it, but of course she doesn't tell anyone that. Not even me. The only reason I know that is because she asked several of my siblings for concealer to hide the dark circles under her eyes from her siblings. She refuses to show any weakness. And that's where the family resemblance kicks in.

I'm absolutely terrified of this place but I refuse to tell anyone. When Annabeth asked me to join her on the quest, I felt nervous and helpless. No matter how much I wanted to stay behind in Camp Halfblood, I know that I had to be strong for my friends. So I came with and now I'm sitting here against the wall, almost having a panic attack.

"Gods, give me strength to get through this quest. You all know I need it." I whisper into my cupped hands.

* * *

Annabeth glares at the wooden ceiling like if she stared enough then it would burst into flames. "This doesn't make any sense. It should be stone." She grumbles.

"The Labyrinth doesn't have to make sense." I remind her.

Annabeth pounds on the wall in frustration. "Why can't it just be stone?" The tunnel slowly changes to stone just to mess with her mind. She lets out a groan of frustration before pressing forward.

I rush to catch up with her. Tyson, Grover, and Percy walk slower than us as if they're afraid to be too close to Annabeth while she is this frustrated.

"Annabeth," I gasp out, "You have to stop giving the Labyrinth a reason to mess with you."

She throws up her arms, nearly smacking me in the head. "I'm not giving it a reason to mess with me." Annabeth snaps back. "Athena is all about logic, but everything about this maze is illogical! It's just not right!"

Percy starts motioning me to drop the subject but I know that if Annabeth keeps going like this, she's going to drop dead before we get close to the center of the maze. I suck in a deep breath. "Clarisse tried to think about it logically too. You know what happened?"

She looks at me with wide eyes. Neither of us told her much about what happened to us in the Labyrinth so this is a surprise. "No. What?"

I purposefully avoid her gaze. "She thought about your research. Said that she decided to use her brain instead of her muscles and that she will think about it like Annabeth thinks about things: logically. She looked for signs that someone has been there, signs for a worn out path since the most used tunnels would be the ones with an entrance in them. It didn't work. The Labyrinth just messed with us like it was a game. My point is, don't think about it too logically."

Annabeth's eyebrows come together in confusion. "That is not very good advice."

I sigh. "I know, but what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't think about too much."

She purses her lips. I know I'm not making much sense but maybe Annabeth of all people can make something out of it. "So what you're saying is that since the maze is illogical, I should think illogically?"

I shrug. "Yeah, pretty much."

Annabeth snorts. "No. Everything has some sort of reason. Even this _stupid_ maze." She kicks up some dust on the ground for good measure. My poor attempt of giving her advice just went down the drain. Her grey eyes bore into the side of my face curiously. "We haven't talked about the conversation with Hera yet."

I grind my teeth together so hard that they can probably hear it.

"Yeah!" Grover interjects. "What was that all about? How did she know you so well? I mean, she is the Queen of the Heavens. And what about that deal thing that Janus was talking about?"

"It's none of your guy's business." I snap, feeling a small twinge of guilt for being so harsh to them. Grover shrinks back slightly. Annabeth and Percy just stare at me with wide eyes. I sigh. "I just don't want to talk about." I say much more softly. They stop asking about it, luckily for me.

We enter a room with a rectangular pit in the middle of the room. It feels like darkness is seeping out of the shallow pit. Stalactites hang dangerously off the ceiling. In a corner I see a tin foil wrapper with a small part of a hamburger next to it.

Percy shines his flashlight on it. "Nico was here."

I look at him in shock. "Why would Nico be here?" I ask.

He looks at me then back to a half-eaten hamburger. "Because he wants to kill me."

I take an involuntary step back. My eyes grow wide in shock. "Why would he want to kill you? It doesn't make sense."

"Yes it does! He needs a soul who cheated death." Percy says but it doesn't make much sense to me. Whatever is going on, clearly he didn't want to involve me. Maybe it's because he thought that I would run and tell Nico everything I knew. But how can he know that I've talked to Nico all summer? Or maybe it's just because he doesn't trust me as much as he trusts Tyson, Grover, and Annabeth, which would make sense. I'm not really volunteering to tell them about myself.

Tyson whimpers. "Ghosts were here." Based on his expression, Tyson doesn't like ghosts.

Out of nowhere, Percy starts to run.

"Percy!" Annabeth calls out before dashing after him. Grover, Tyson and I share a concerned look. What is happening? We run after then but they have a head start. I just hope that the Labyrinth doesn't get any ideas and tries to separate us.

We slow down when we see Percy and Annabeth staring up at a grate. I walk under it to see the sky. The beautiful blue sky and an odd, red cow looking down at us.

"Where are we?" I say aloud even though I kind of meant it as a thought in my head.

Grover reaches up to tap one of the bars. "Under a cattle guard." The cow tries to place one hoof on the bars but chickens out. It moos sadly and stares down at us.

Percy tears his eyes off of the cow. "A cattle what?"

Grover's lips curl in disgust. "A cattle guard. They put them at the gates of ranches so that the cattle can't get out."

"How do you know that?" Percy pries.

Grover lets out a huff, but I think he's more irritated at the metal bars above our heads than Percy asking questions. "Believe me, if you had hooves then you would know all about them."

Percy's back straightens at a sudden realization. "Didn't Hera say something about a ranch? We have to check it out. Nico might be there." I still have no idea why he would think that Nico is there, but I understand why we have to check it out. Hera seemed to want us to go here. And when a goddess wants you to go somewhere, you go there.

Tyson raises his arms and seems to lightly tap the gate. It flies off into the fields somewhere. There is a loud, startled moo from a cow almost getting killed by the grate. Tyson blushes and mutters a sorry. He clasps his hands together and gives us all a boost up, one by one.

I look at my surroundings. There are hills everywhere. Cherry colored cows dot the nearby hill like polka dots. They stay in a rectangle area surrounded by barbed wire fences and cattle guards. The cows stare at us curiously.

"The cattle of the sun." Annabeth mutters to herself.

"What?" Percy asks. Annabeth takes a step forward to get a better look at the cows, ignoring his question.

"Apollo's sacred cow." I answer. I bring my eyebrows together. "But I don't think they're all that special to him since he barely mentions them. Pretty though."

Grover holds up a hand. "Listen."

I strain my ears. In the distance it sounds like dogs baying. A bush rustles and a dog with two heads pops out. Both of the heads snarl at us with sharp teeth. They look like someone personally sharpened each tooth. I pull out my sword. Percy uncaps his pen and Annabeth takes out her dagger too.

"Bad Janus dog!" Tyson exclaims. He backs away from their snapping teeth.

Grover lets out a series of Arf's. The dog seems to understand him but isn't too impressed that he can talk to him. It tilts its heads at him then continues to act like it wants to murder us.

A couple of seconds later a very large man with a huge straw hat comes out of the woods. He is wearing dirty jeans and a Texas T-shirt. What gets my attention is his club with spikes coming out of the end.

Immediately my head runs through all the advantages and disadvantages of the weapon. _Huge and can do a lot of damage if hit by it. Very slow though. If he swings at me, I will have time to stab while he recovers._ My mind then goes through all the possible attacks I can use against the man that is twice my size.

"Heel, Orthus." He says with a gruff voice. The man glares at us from under his hat. "Put away your weapons. No point 'n having them out."

The dog growls at each of us one last time before sitting by his master's feet. We reluctantly sheath our blades. The man looks at each of us with a calculating eye. He raises his club so that if any of us try something, he will be ready to hit us. "What do we got here? Cattle rustlers?" His eyes narrow dangerously.

Annabeth shakes his head. "No. Just travelers. We're on a quest."

His eye twitches and I swear his hands tighten around his club. "Halfbloods, eh?"

"I'm Annabeth, Daughter of Athena. That's Rina, Daughter of Aphrodite-"

"A Daughter of Aphrodite with purple hair?" He asks with disbelief.

I cross my arms, starting to feel angry at the way he's looking at me. "Yes. Got a problem with that?" I snap, letting my irritation get the best of me.

"Rina... Rina..." His eyes grow wide like he just made a great discovery. "You don't happen to be Aikarina, Tyler's kid?"

My hand immediately goes for my sword. The others see this and their hands also go towards their weapons. "Maybe. Why does it matter?"

He shrugs. "Doesn't. Just wonderin'."

Annabeth lets out a cough. "Um... that's Percy, Son of Poseidon. Grover the satyr. Tyson the-"

"Cyclops. I know." He interrupts again. "I'm Eurytion the cowherd on this ranch. Son of Ares. You came through the Labyrinth like the other one, I reckon."

Percy perks up. "The other one? Was it Nico di Angelo?"

"We get loads of visitors here." His face turns dark, not completely answering Percy's question. "Not a lot of them leave." I really don't like the sound of that. Grover shifts uncomfortably. He must be thinking the same thing.

"Wow. I feel very welcome." Percy comments sarcastically but he doesn't seem as disturbed by the comment as Grover and me. Alarms bells are ringing in both of our minds while Percy is making a joke about it.

Eurytion looks behind him like someone is watching him. He leans forward and lowers his voice. "I'm only going to say this once, demigods. Get back in the maze before it's too late. You might not be able to later."

Annabeth shares a look with Percy. "We're not leaving until we see the other demigod." She insists.

She seems to have her mind set. Eurytion looks at the rest of us and sees that we aren't going to leave anytime soon. He lets out a disappointed grunt. "Fine. Then I gotta take you to the boss."

We walk up a long dirt path with Eurytion in the lead with his dog. I rush up to walk along his side. He gives me an odd side look but continues to stare forward.

"You knew my father?" I ask, remembering his comment from earlier.

Eurytion shrugs. "A lot of people knew your father. Before... well, you know... he was everywhere. Always doing quests. Even stole a couple of our flesh-eating horses. Look, I'll give you some advice, if you wanna get out of here in one piece, don't mention to the boss who your dad is." I glance back to see the rest of my group leaning forward and obviously eavesdropping. Just something else that I don't want to explain.

I slink back behind him and walk the rest of the path in silence. Occasionally we pass odd animals and Percy would ask what they are. Eurytion would answer with a glare and a very cryptic answer.

Finally we reach the house. Annabeth comments about it looking like a specific architect. She seems pretty excited about it but I don't ask about it. If I do, she'll surely go into an hour-long rant about every single detail of the house.

Eurytion turns around and walks up the bath backwards. "Don't break the rules. No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don't make any comments about the boss's appearance. That's all there is to it."

"Why? What does he look like?" Percy asks.

Eurytion opens his mouth but he's interrupted by a voice from behind him. "Welcome to Triple G Ranch!" I look around the Son of Ares and see a man slicked back hair so greasy that it could spontaneously combust. The smirk on his face disturbs me because it is more menacing than friendly. The oddest part about him is that he was three bodies attached to one head. Each of his bodies wears a different ugly shirt. He really needs a makeover.

Eurytion nudges Percy, so I guess he has been nominated the spokesperson of our group. "Say hello to Mr. Geryon." Eurytion mutters.

"Uh, hi! Nice chests- I mean ranch. Very nice ranch." Percy stumbles.

Mr. Geryon smiles but before he can respond, Nico comes out of the house. "Geryon, I won't wait for-" His eyes narrow in on Percy and it's like he has tunnel vision. He pulls out a short black sword that I have never seen in my life. I feel myself freeze in shock that Nico would be here. I thought that he was somewhere in the Underworld or maybe that he went back to camp while we were away.

Geryon snarls at the sight of the sword. He shuffles away from it. "Put that blade away, Mr. di Angelo. I will not have my guests kill each other!"

He points towards Percy with an accusing finger. "But that's-"

Geryon nods. "Percy Jackson. Annabeth Chase. Rina with no apparent last name. And some monsters."

Nico's eyes go wide. He looks at me as if he's just seeing me for the first time. "Rina? What are you doing here?" He looks so much worse than he does in the Iris messages. The bags under his eyes are darker and he looks like he hasn't eaten in days. Somehow I feel that it's my fault. And maybe it is in a way since I was the one who sent him in the direction of the Underworld last winter.

Before I can answer, Nico stomps over and tugs me away from them like a protective brother would. He glares at Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson. "They let my sister die!" His voice trembles with rage. His hand tightens around my arm that I'm sure if it wasn't for my healing abilities, I would have bruises. "They're here to kill me!"

I gasp. "They aren't going to kill you, Nico!"

Percy shakes his head. "We're not here to kill you. What happened with Bianca-"

Nico grips my arm tighter if that's even possible. "Don't speak her name! You aren't worthy to even talk about her!"

Percy opens his mouth to reply but Annabeth places a hand on his arm to make him be quiet. She turns towards Geryon. "Wait, how do you know our names?"

Geryon shrugs with all of his shoulders. "I keep it my business to be informed about everyone on my ranch, darlin'. Everybody pops into the ranch from time to time and everyone needs something from ole Geryon." He glares at the blade in Nico's hand. "Now, Mr. di Angelo, put that... thing away before Eurytion takes it away from you."

He hesitates. Nico's eyes are still locked on Percy's every movement.

I tap his arm. Nico seems to realize how tight he is gripping me so he lets go. "Put the sword away, Nico." I tell him quietly.

He seems to want to argue, but he puts it back in his sheath. He glares at Percy. "If you dare come near me or Rina, Percy, I'll summon help. You don't want to meet my helpers, I promise." He threatens.

This is not my Nico. This is not the kind, polite boy that I saw in the Iris messages. It's like Percy's mere presence makes the worst come out of him. That's when it hits me. I know that if I were in Nico's place, I would act the same way, maybe even worse. Nico has the anger inside of him. Just like me.

Percy nods. "I believe you."

Geryon pats Nico's shoulders. I lean away from him, not realizing how close the strange man was to us. "There, we've all made nice. Now, come on. I want to give you a tour of the ranch." The smile on his face is like he has a secret that no one will ever know. For some reason I have the feeling to run far away from this ranch. I don't know much about this place, but I know enough that it isn't safe for any of us.

I just hope I get proven wrong.

* * *

Nico almost forces me into the last car of the train with him. He's purposefully going out of his way to keep me away from the others. They crowd into the middle train-car while Geryon, Eurytion, and his dog sit in the front.

Geryon starts to explain some of the things on the ranch while the others ask questions. I don't pay attention to anything that they say.

"Why are you with _them?_" Nico asks with venom.

I glare at him. "I'm on a quest and they're my friends. What are you doing _here_?" Nico looks away from me. He's hiding something from me. My face softens. "What aren't you telling me?" I ask.

He doesn't answer. Instead he takes out a small knife in a leather sheath. I remember it well. It's my knife. I hold it gingerly in my hands. It looks a lot cleaner now than when I first got it. The knife shines in the light more and seems sharper.

"You probably want this back. I... uh... had it shined and sharpened by some professionals in the Underworld." Nico mutters quietly. He glances back at Percy and the others. Obviously he is very paranoid that Percy and the others are going to do something.

"Thanks, Nico." I tell him. Nico nods then pays attention to Geryon give the tour of the rest of the ranch.

Geryon points towards the cherry colored cows. "And over yonder, of course, are our prize red cows. Wonderful creatures."

"So many." Grover muses.

Geryon shrugs. "Yeah, well Apollo is too busy to see them. Being a god and all. So he subcontracts us. We breed them vigorously because they have such a high demand."

The smile falls from Grover's face. "High demand for what?" He asks. He leans back in the train car as if he's terrified of the answer.

Geryon raises an eyebrow. He lets out an almost evil chuckle. "Meat! Of course! Armies have to eat, y'know."

I gasp loudly. Geryon twists in his seat to give me a sly grin. Grover nearly faints in his seat. If only Apollo knew what they are doing to his cows... let's just say that it would be worse than his fury on Demeter when she 'accidentally' made his sun chariot family friendly. Four doors, soccer mom van with cup holders specially made for cereal bowls. She even had wheat grow from the dashboard.

Nico sits forward in his seat. "I don't care about any of this. We have business to discuss, Geryon, and this definitely isn't it!" He avoids eye contact with me because he knows that I'm going to ask him what this is all about.

Geryon waves his hand like it's nothing. "All in good time. Be patient, Mr. di Angelo." He points towards a fence with mock enthusiasm. "Oh, look! Some of my more exotic game."

I look over to see a bunch of scorpions; the ones that we fought in the woods back at camp.

Percy looks at the strange man. "Your mark was on some crates back at camp. Quintus got those scorpions from you, didn't he?"

"Quintus... Short grey hair, muscular, swordsman?" Geryon muses like it's an old joke.

"Yeah, that's him." I say. I'm so tempted to stab him in the neck. If Eurytion wasn't sitting next to him, I sure I would.

"Never heard of him." Geryon snaps. "Now look over there, Aikarina. Those are my prized stables. Aren't they a sight?"

I gag on the disgusting smell. To our right are a hundred flesh-eating horses wading in piles of horse poop. It is so strong that my nose takes a dive into the collar of my shirt, but it still isn't enough to block out the horrendous stench.

Nico squeezes his nose shut. His voice sounds nasally and muffled. "What is that?" He almost yells in surprise.

"My stables!" Geryon exclaims. Somehow he can stand the smell. In fact I think he might like it because I see him take in several deep breaths. "Well, technically they belong to Aegis but we watch over them for a monthly fee. Aren't they just lovely? Such graceful creatures."

"They're disgusting." Annabeth mutters. She holds her hand over her nose, but based on her grimace, it isn't blocking the stench.

"Lots of poop." Tyson states the obvious.

"How can you keep animals like that?" Grover and I both cry out at the same time.

Geryon glowers at us. "Careful. Y'all are getting on my nerves. These are flesh-eating horses. And if you knew anything about flesh-eating horses, then you would know that they like these conditions."

Eurytion pulls his hat down on his face like he is sleeping. "That and you're too cheap to get the stalls properly clean. Gods know I'm not doing it."

"Quiet!" He snaps. "So, I admit, the stables are challenging to clean. Perhaps they make me nauseous when the wind blows the wrong way. But who cares? What's the big deal? My clients pay me well, so I put up with it."

Percy places two hands down on the edge of the seat. "What clients?" He demands forcefully.

Geryon shrugs. "Oh, you would be very surprised, Percy Jackson. A lot of people are willing to pay for a couple of flesh-eating horses. They are great garbage disposals. Good way to terrify your enemy. Also, fantastic at birthday parties! Always a good conversation starter. They have tons of uses so of course we rent them out all the time."

"You're a monster." Annabeth snarls.

He suddenly stops the train. We lurch forward at the sudden stop. Geryon turns around with a terrifying grin on his face. "Was it the three bodies that give it away?"

Grover points towards the ranch. I have never seen him so passionate about a topic, but then again, Percy has warned me to never get in an argument with Grover about poison ivy vs. poison oak. "You have to let these animals go! It isn't right for them to be cooped up here!" Grover says. He waves his hands wildly around him as he talks.

Annabeth narrows her eyes at the monster. "And the clients you are talking about. You're working for Kronos, aren't you? You're supplying him with horses, food, whatever they need. You sicken me." She spits out.

Geryon shrugs indifferently. Her words didn't even put a chip in the wall that is his ego. "I work for anyone with gold, young lady. Who can blame me? I'm a businessman! And I sell them anything I have to offer, as long as they have the money." He gets out of the train and walks towards the stables, breathing in the air. The rest of us still are covering our noses and breathing out of our mouths.

Nico pushes out of the train car angrily. Eurytion gets out too and follows him as Nico stomps towards Geryon. "If you're such a businessman, then let's do business. That's why I'm here!" Nico jabs a finger towards Geryon.

"Yes, you'll get a deal all right." Geryon mutters under his breath.

"My ghost told me that you can guide me to the soul I need."

"You're talking to ghosts?" I gasp at the same time Percy blurts out, "I'm not the soul you want?" Our words mixed together in a jumble of syllables. Geryon raises an eyebrow at us. Nico looks at us confused, obviously not catching what we said.

I look away from him angrily. How can he talk to ghosts? Sure he is the son of the God of the Dead, but ghosts are untrustworthy. If he had told me what he was doing, then I would have been able to tell him that. They only have their own agenda: past grudges, unfinished business. They manipulate people to do what they want and usually lead them to an early death.

I cross my arms over my chest and instead concentrate on my shoes.

"So, I'm not the soul you want?" Percy repeats.

Nico looks at Percy like he's stupid. "Why would I want you? Bianca's soul is worth more than a thousand of you! Now, can you help me or not, Geryon?"

Geryon twists his mustache between two fingers like an evil villain would in a children's movie. "Oh, I do image that I could. Where is your ghost friend, by the way?"

Nico shifts on his feet uneasily. "He can't form in daylight, but he's around here somewhere"

Geryon chuckles. "Yes, Minos likes to disappear when things get difficult."

My head shoots up. I'm staring daggers right into Nico's soul. He flinches like he feels each one of my imaginary blades stab into him. "Minos? _King _Minos? Nico, I can't believe you! You cannot trust him!" I shout.

Nico looks down at the ground. For a second he looks ashamed but then he looks back at Geryon. "What do you mean by things getting difficult?"

Geryon sighs. He places one of his several hands on Nico's shoulders. He tries to shrug him off, but Geryon has a tight grip. "You see, my dear Nico– can I call you Nico?"

Nico glares at him. "No."

Geryon continues anyways. "So, Nico. Luke Castellan is offering good money for halfbloods. Especially powerful halfbloods. And I'm very sure that when he learns who you truly are, he will be wheel barreling gold to me." His eyes flicker towards me. "And maybe little Aikarina, too. There isn't a precedent for people of her condition, but I'm sure they will pay even more for her. I can only imagine the gold now." He comments wistfully.

Nico draws his sword but Eurytion knocks it out of his hand. Before anyone can do anything, Orthus jumps on Percy's chest. He licks his lips as if wondering what halfblood tastes like, but I'm sure the dog is more than familiar with the taste.

Geryon holds up his hand as Tyson, Grover, Annabeth, and I start to get up to help him. "I would stay in your cars if you don't want Mr. Jackson's throat torn out. Such a miserable way to die. Now, Eurytion, will you be so kind to secure Nico." He looks at me thoughtfully, as if he's weighing his choices. "Also take Aikarina. I'm sure one less person on the quest won't be too big of a deal."

Eurytion spits into the grass. "Do I have to?" He half whines.

Geryon growls. "Yes, you fool! And get rid of that sword. Nothing worse than Stygian Iron." His lips curl up in distaste.

Eurytion picks up Nico like a wrestler. When he walks towards me, I consider fighting back but then I remember the strong pair of teeth that are inches from Percy's neck. As much as I want to fight back and escape, I know that I can't condemn my friend like that. So when Eurytion picks me up and slings me over his shoulder like a sack of flour, I stay still and fight all my instincts to free myself.

"Now," Geryon says so cheerfully that you would think that he won the lottery, "we've finished the tour. Let's go back to the lodge and Iris message our Titan friends."

Annabeth's fists clench. "You fiend! You... you... go to the crows!"

He smiles cruelly. He enjoys seeing her so angry. "Don't worry, Annabeth. You and your friends are free to go, except for Aikarina. I've been paid well for your safe passage."

Annabeth's eyebrows come together in concentration. "Paid for, by whom?

Geryon laughs. "Never mind that, darlin'. Let's be off, shall we?" He motions for Eurytion to come with him.

"Wait!" Percy shouts. Orthus growls and brings his teeth closer to Percy. "You said that you're a businessman, so make me a deal!" He pleads.

Geryon narrows his eyes suspiciously, but I can see that Percy has his interest. "What sort of deal are you talking about? Do you have gold?"

"I've got something better."

He snorts. "What's better than gold?"

"Barter!"

Geryon snorts again. "But Mr. Jackson, you have nothing."

"You could have him clean the stables." Eurytion offers innocently. I seriously consider punching him in the face.

"I'll do it!" Percy agrees immediately. "If I fail then you get all of us. Trade us all to Luke for gold."

Geryon tilts his head thoughtfully. "Assuming that the horses don't eat you."

"Either way you get my friends." Percy says. He sounds so sure of himself. "But if I succeed, you let all of us go. _Including_ Rina and Nico."

Geryon makes several tut noises. "Those stables haven't been cleaned in about a thousand years. All that muck builds up. But it is true that with all the dung takes up a lot of space. If it's gone, then I can rent out even more stable space!"

Percy almost smiles. He knows that he has Geryon right where he wants him. "So what do you have to lose?"

He hesitates, and for a minute I thought that he was going to decline. "I accept your offer, but you must get it done by sunset or I become a lot richer."

"Deal."

Geryon nods approvingly. "I'm going to take your friends with me to the lodge. We will wait for you there." Eurytion places us into the train and drives us back to the lodge, leaving Percy behind to clean up all the poop.

* * *

"Ow!" I wince. Eurytion mutters out an apology but continues to tie my wrists to my ankles. "Do you think you could loosen it a little? I'm losing feeling in my fingers." I tell him.

Eurytion shakes his head. "No can do. Don't want to chance you getting free." He grabs a piece of fabric and ties it around my mouth so that I can speak. I mumble out several threats like 'I will cast a love curse on you so strong that you will forever be lonely' and 'When I get out, you better watch your back because I will be there with a knife'. But I'm sure if I could say them properly, the Son of Ares still wouldn't feel any more threatened than he feels now.

Nico looks at me with pleading eyes. "Rina, I'm so- ow!" He exclaims when Eurytion ties his wrists to his ankles in a similar way that I'm tied. "I didn't tell you about the ghost because I didn't want you to be in danger because of me. This was for me and only me to do. Please, Rina..." The rest of the words come out garbled because Eurytion tied a piece of fabric around his mouth.

He moves on to the others. Eurytion even has a special cord to tie Tyson up. Next he takes out a lot of party supplies from a supply closet. Geryon starts up a grill and makes barbeque. He hums quietly to himself as he flips burgers.

Annabeth turns the best she can to look at me. "Mmmrggbbbs mrggg mbbrrg." She looks up at the table a couple of feet from us. There our weapons are placed in an orderly stack. "Mrggbb mrgbbvvv mggrr." She tells me like she expects me to understand.

"Quit being so loud!" Geryon shouts at us. He hangs some streamers on the railing while keeping a close eye on the barbeque. The way he is doing it is as if it is a delicate art that takes time to be perfect. "I'm trying to make this place more decorative." Eurytion mumbles something under his breath. He leans back and picks dirt under his fingernails with his knife. Geryon tries to force him to help him decorate, but Eurytion just ignores him. He doesn't stop until Orthus growls at him.

Annabeth starts making loud noises. Eurytion takes the gag off of her mouth so that he can hear what she has to say. She gasps. "I have to go to the bathroom."

Eurytion raises an eyebrow. "That's it?"

She nods. "Yes. I have to go _really_ bad." So she's going for the bathroom distraction. It's a classic.

Eurytion shrugs and starts to gag her again but Annabeth moves her head. "Do you really want me to pee, here on the floor? Especially when you will have guests coming over? That will just be a bad representation of what your ranch is about. They will get the wrong idea and won't think of this place as a respectable establishment."

Eurytion looks back at Geryon for permission. He thinks for several moments the nods. "Yes, yes. She has a point. Eurytion, take the girl to the bathroom."

Eurytion picks her up and Annabeth's eyes widen. "Wait, you're not coming in there with me!" She commands.

" 'Course not. Just making sure that you don't get any ideas and escaping." He says. They disappear around the corner out of ear-shot.

Geryon turns his back on his to concentrate on grilling his burgers to perfection. Now's my chance. I inch towards the table as quietly as possible. Nico's shaking his head wildly but doesn't make any noise that could draw attention. Grover and Tyson seem to agree with him, but I don't listen. It's now or never.

The table is low enough so that if I hit it with enough force, I can knock it over with the weapons. This is going to be noisy so I will have to work fast.

I slam into the table and send tipping over. The weapons scatter around. Geryon turns around and I only have several moments. My hands grab my knife and I cut the rope around my ankles. I then cut the rope by my hands. I'm just about to get up when Geryon's foot collides with my face.

I let out a cry of pain. My nose feels like it's on fire. Hot liquid flows down my face. I drop the knife and force my nose back into place with a loud crack.

"You broke my nose!" I spit out.

Geryon glares at me. "You broke my table."

Eurytion bursts into the room with a tied up Annabeth over his shoulder to see what the commotion is about. He sets her down and grabs me.

Geryon returns to his grill like nothing happened. "Take her to the Iron Maiden."

Eurytion shifts on his feet nervously. "You sure?"

He nods. "Just don't put the needles in. Don't want her dead before the guests arrive." He smirks at me. "Fun fact, the Iron Maiden was never actually used as a torture device, but it is very good at keeping pesky people in one place."

Eurytion drags me into the house. In the living room there are dozens of hunting trophies ranging from lions to baby deer. It's sickening. In the corner of the room is a tall Iron Maiden, thankfully without the spikes in it. He gently pushes me in and puts a large padlock on the door.

I hear him lean against the door. "Your father was a good man and a brave hero. The best of this time. I'm sorry that he had to go." Several seconds later he walks away, leaving me in the very dark, metal contraption.

I yell in irritation. No matter how hard I slam on the metal trap around me, nothing happens. I'm going to be in here for a while.

* * *

I blink my eyes at the sudden light. I feel some hands pull me out of the Iron Maiden. My eyes adjust to see Nico, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson staring at me with wide eyes. I guess they expect me to break down.

Nico smiles, for the first time in a while. He hands me my knife and my purse, which I willingly take.

Annabeth grabs a water bottle and wets a piece of torn fabric. "You have blood all over your face." She reaches forward to clean my face off but I shake my head. I feel a pull in my gut. The dried blood on my face falls off in little specks. Gross, but at least my face is clean again. Her eyes grow wide momentarily, but she quickly recovers. "I'm so sorry. I thought that maybe you could get the weapons and..."

Nico scowls at her. "Geryon could've killed her!"

I place a hand on his arm. "It's not her fault. I didn't have to do it, but someone had to try something. I wasn't going to sit in the corner all day."

We walk back to the porch. Eurytion is just sitting back, watching the sky. He doesn't care that we escaped.

I sigh and face Nico who is staring at me intensely. "I'm fine." I poke my nose and wince slightly. Still tender but mostly healed. "I healed."

He opens his mouth, I assume to ask how, but then closes it. Nico nods once in approval. It doesn't seem to matter, as long as I'm okay. He turns towards Percy. "Can we tie up the cowherd now?" For once he isn't glaring at Percy, but I'm not sure how long that is going to last.

Grover stomps his hoof on the floorboards. "Yeah! And that dog tried to kill me too."

Eurytion pats Orthus on the two heads. He looks completely relaxed.

Percy looks at him. "How long until Geryon reforms?"

He shrugs. Eurytion takes out a knife and throws it up in the air. He catches it with ease. "Hundred years. Fortunately he isn't one of those fast reforming monsters. Y'all did me a huge favor."

Percy is not done with his mini interrogation. "You said that you died for him before. How does that work?"

"I've worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as your average, cookie-cutter halfblood but I chose immortality when dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would change my mind. Now I'm forever stuck on this ranch. I can't leave. I can't quit. I only tend the cows and fight Geryon's fights. We're kind of tied together, no matter how much I hate it."

"Maybe you can change things." Percy says confidently.

Eurytion narrows his eyes. He sheaths his knife and leans forward in his spot. "How?"

"Well, for one, be kind to the animals." Grover says.

Percy nods. "Yeah, actually take care of them. Stop selling them for food and stop selling them to the Titans."

Eurytion tilts his head thoughtfully. "Yeah, that would be alright."

"Get the animals on your side," Percy says. ", and they will help you. And maybe when Geryon finally reforms, you will be his boss."

He smiles so big that it covers his whole face. "Now _that_ I can live with."

"You won't stop us from leaving?" Annabeth asks.

Eurytion slaps his knee like that's a funny joke. "Shoot no! Like I said, you guys did me a favor."

Annabeth rubs her bruised wrists. I glance down at mine and feel strangely guilty when I see none. "Your boss said someone paid for our safe passage. Who was it?" Annabeth asks. She narrows her eyes dangerously, warning him to lie to her.

Eurytion shrugs. "I don't have any idea. Maybe he just said it to mess with you. Wouldn't be the first time he did it to whoever passes through the ranch."

Percy glances at Nico. "What about the Titans? Did he ever Iris message them about who Nico's father is?"

He shakes his head. "He was waiting for after the barbeque. They have no clue about him."

Nico burns figurative holes in Percy's face. Percy sees somewhat off put by it, but he does a good job hiding his discomfort. "You could stay here until after we're done with the quest. You would be safe." Percy tells him.

Nico scoffs at him. "Safe? What do you care about me being safe? You got my sister killed!"

I touch his arm to calm him down but Nico slinks away from me. Annabeth sighs. "That wasn't Percy's fault. And Geryon wasn't lying about telling the Titans who you are, really. If he did, then he would do anything to get you on his side."

He squares his shoulders. "I'm not on anyone's side and I am definitely not afraid."

Annabeth reaches out for him, but then thinks twice about it. She moves back to her original spot. "You should be. Your sister wouldn't want-"

"If you cared about my sister then you would help me bring her back!"

My eyes widen at what he is implying. "A soul for a soul." I mumble but everyone hears me. I look up at the Son of Hades. "You do realize how dangerous that is, right? Please tell me you at least know the risks."

I'm literally the only person in the group that Nico doesn't glare at like I'm the enemy. Nico frowns. "I know all about it. He told me everything. So, are you going to help me or not?"

Percy looks slightly confused. "But if you don't want my soul then who..."

Nico blinks back several tears. "I'm... I'm not explaining anything to you." He stammers. "I _will_ bring her back."

I shake my head. "Bianca wouldn't want that. She wouldn't want to be brought back."

Nico stares at me with shocked eyes. "You don't know what she wants!" He yells. By now several free tears are racing down his face. "You didn't know her, so stop talking like you did!"

I take a step forward. I clench my hands in frustration. "I didn't have to! She doesn't want that! _Nobody_ would want to be brought back that way! Only the cruelest and evilest would!" I yell back. "I mean, who wants to be responsible for another person's death?"

"A person that _cheated_ death!" Nico yells back.

"It's still a person!"

Percy steps between us to keep us from going at each other's necks. "Stop it! Both of you. Let's just ask Bianca then." He seems so calm and collect, unlike me. I already feel the anger trying to burst out of its cage and rush through my veins. I have to cool off.

I turn around and run my hands through my hair. I then take several deep breaths before turning back around to face them.

"I've tried." Nico says. He looks miserable. "She won't come."

"I have a feeling she'll answer with me here." Percy says.

Nico glares at the Son of Poseidon. "Why would she do that?"

"Because she's been sending me Iris messages. Bianca has been warning me what you're up to. She wants me to protect you."

Nico shakes his head. "That's impossible."

"Yeah, Percy, I've never known of the dead sending Iris messages. I don't think it's even possible." I tell him.

Percy shrugs. "Only one way to find out. Nico, you said yourself that you're not afraid." He turns to Eurytion. "We're going to need a pit and food and drinks."

Annabeth looks warily between the two. "I don't think that this is a good-"

"I'll do it." Nico interrupts.

Eurytion scratches his beard. He points towards the back of the house. "There is a hole out back for the septic tank. Cyclops boy, fetch my ice chest from the kitchen. I hope the dead likes root beer."

* * *

Nico and I made an unspoken truce. We walked together to the back of house in silence, but it was like we never fought. Neither of us mention anything about the words we shouted angrily at each other.

We all are standing around the pit, waiting for Nico to do something, but he just stands there looking for something... or someone.

"It's full dark. Minos should've been here by now." Nico frowns.

"Maybe he got lost." Percy says hopefully and honestly I hope that is the case as well. King Minos is not someone I want to be in the same room with.

Nico shrugs. "I'll just start." He takes off the cap of the root beer and pours it into the hole. He then takes a plate of hamburgers and throws it on top of the puddle of root beer. Then he does something I didn't expect. Nico starts to chant something in Greek. He's speaking too fast for me to pick out any of the words.

The temperature drops ten degrees. The forming shadows look suspiciously like human shadows. It seems as if the earth went to sleep. All the bugs that were out only seconds ago mysteriously disappear. A mist rises from the pit and dances around our feet.

A shadow near me turns a dark blue. It begins to go towards the offering.

Nico's eyes grow wide. "Stop him! Only Bianca may drink!"

Percy draws his sword. Immediately the other ghosts back away in fear, but it's too late for the first ghost. It bends down and drinks from the frothy puddle of root beer and burnt hamburgers. The shadow becomes clearer to an old man in white robes. He has a golden laurel on his head and his eyes are hollow with malice.

"Minos! What are you doing?" Nico grinds his teeth.

He bows slightly. "My apologies, master. The sacrifice just smelled so good and... well I couldn't resist. I am only man." King Minos looks down at his hands. He smiles. "It's good to finally see myself. Almost in solid form-"

Nico frowns. "You are disrupting the ritual. Get..." He pauses. The ghosts surrounding us are dangerously bright. It's making me feel like I'm trapped in a cage. Nico chants again to keep them away, which Minos seems to find amusing.

"Yes, quite right. I've only came to protect you from those _liars_ who try to deceive you. I'm protecting you, my master." King Minos says. He turns to Percy. His ghostly lips curl in disgust. "Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon. My, my. The offspring of Poseidon certainly hasn't improved over the centuries. I assume that's only expected."

Percy waves his sword at a ghost, which sends it back. "Get lost. We just want Bianca."

The ghost chuckles like it's a hilarious inside joke. He glances at me with a large smirk. "Is that Aikarina? Tyler's child." He says Tyler like it's a terrible disease. "He always had a big ego. Said that he will only go by his first name because it's much more memorable to just go by Tyler than... whatever his last name is. Like Hercules. You never hear about his last name. I presume you're not much different. He rots in the Fields of Punishment. His cries can be heard from the other side of the Underworld. I can assure you that his punishment is one I would only wish upon my greatest enemies."

Tears prick my eyes but I quickly blink them away. The temporary moment of sadness is replaced with a strong feeling of anger. What gives him the right to talk to me like this? I consider charging him with my sword, and it is very tempting, but I don't think my blade would work on him.

He turns back to Percy. "I understand that you killed the Minotaur with your bare hands. An impressive feat. But worse things await you in the maze. I'm sure of that. Do you really believe that Daedalus will help you?" King Minos scoffs. "He cares not for any halfblood. You cannot trust the man. He is old but cunning. Daedalus is bitter from the guilt of murder and is cursed by the gods themselves."

"The guilt of murder. Who did he kill?" Percy asks.

King Minos snarls at him like a wild animal. "Do not change the subject! You are hindering Nico. He can do great things, but you are all in his way. You try to persuade him to give up his goal. _I_, and I alone can make him a lord! Someone worthy of respect!"

Nico stops his chanting. The ghosts are enough at bay that he can. "Enough, Minos." He commands.

Minos sneers at us. He regards each of us with cold, dead eyes. "These are your enemies. Can't you see? You must not listen to them! Let me protect you! I will turn their minds to madness like I did the others."

"Others?" I gasp. "Are you talking about Chris Rodriguez? You did that to him?"

Minos raises his nose proudly. "The maze is my property, no matter it is under my palace or across the United States. All who enter deserve to be driven to madness."

"Be gone, Minos!" Nico demands. He looks absolutely furious. "I want to see my sister."

The look on King Minos's face is pure rage. He takes in a deep breath, even though ghosts don't need to breathe, and immediately calms down. His face turns stony like a statue. "As you wish, master. But I do warn you, you cannot trust these heroes." He takes a step back and fades into the mist.

Other spirits start to come forward by Annabeth and Percy keep them away. I bring a hand up to my cheek to realize that I am crying.

"Are you okay?" Grover asks. He clings to Tyson's shoulder like it's a lifeline.

"He... my father..." I suck in a deep breath. "I'm fine." I wipe my tears away and put on a brave face. Grover doesn't look like he believes me, but he learned his lesson about prying into my past when I snapped at him about Hera.

"Bianca! Appear!" Nico yells. He chants his incantation faster than before. The ghosts move restlessly around us. It's like we're in the middle of a tornado. Then it stops. In the woods I see a silver spirit walk gracefully over to us. I feel an aura of comfort come over me. This ghost is good. This one is kind. It kneels and drinks from the puddle. The silvery shape morphs into the figure of Bianca di Angelo.

Nico falters and the ghosts start to come forward. The form becomes clear. Bianca holds up her hands and the other ghosts disappear into the shadows in a wave of power.

"Hello Percy." She says.

I see Percy blink back several tears. "I'm so sorry."

She shakes her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. I made my choice. I don't regret it at all."

Nico stumbles forward. His face is a mix of hopefulness and depression. "Bianca..." He breathes out.

Bianca turns towards her brother. She smiles sadly. "Hello Nico. You've gotten so tall."

I see that Nico's hands are shaking. His legs look like they're on the edge of collapsing. "Why didn't you answer me before? I've tried for months and you never came."

She looks away. "I was hoping that you would give up."

It was like his heart broke in two. "Give up? How can you even say that? Bianca, I'm trying to save you."

"You can't, Nico. Don't do this. They're right. Rina is right, and so is Percy." She tells him.

Nico shakes his head wildly. "No! Percy let you die!"

She stretches out her hands, as if to touch his cheek. But once her hand touches his cheek, it evaporates into a silvery mist. She pulls her hand away slowly. Bianca looks so sad that she can't touch him. "You must listen to me. Holding a grudge is very dangerous for a Child of Hades. There is no doubt in my mind that is our fatal flaw. We have to forgive. You have to promise me this, Nico."

Nico shakes his head. "I can't. I never can. Not after what he did."

Bianca looks at her brother with a sad expression. "Percy has been terribly worried about you. I let him see what you were up to, hoping that he would find you. I'm glad he did."

Nico curls his fists. "You were helping him and not me!" He screams. "It's not fair!"

"You are so close to the truth now. It's not Percy you're mad at, it's me." She tells him.

Several tears stream down Nico's face. "No." He mutters.

Bianca nods slowly. "You're mad that I left you to become a Hunter of Artemis. You're mad because I died and left you alone. I'm sorry for that. I never meant to leave. I'm truly sorry, Nico. But you must overcome this anger. You must stop blaming Percy for my choices. It will be your doom if you don't."

"She's right." Annabeth breaks the atmosphere like a knife cutting through butter. "Kronos is rising. He'll twist anyone he can to his cause."

Nico doesn't look away from Bianca. "I don't care about Kronos. I just want my sister."

"You can't have that, Nico." Bianca tells him gently.

Nico sets his lips into a straight line. "I'm a Son of Hades! I _can_!"

Bianca reaches out for him again. "Don't try. If you love me, don't try."

The ghosts gather around us again, but this time they aren't trying to get to the root beer. They circle around us whispering things like _danger _and _he's coming_. This seems to make Bianca very anxious.

She glances around us at the other spirits. "Tartarus stirs. Your power draws the attention of Kronos. We must return to the Underworld. We cannot stay any longer."

"Wait." Nico croaks. "Please-"

"Goodbye. I love you. Please remember what I said"

Bianca slowly disappears along with the rest of the ghosts, leaving Nico even more broken than before.

* * *

I knock on Nico's door. I hear a shuffling but no effort to go towards the door. Despite not getting permission, I walk inside.

"Nico, how are you?" I ask. He turns over in the bed. His eyes are red from crying and there are tear stains on his cheek.

Nico frowns. "About as good as anyone could be after they saw their dead sister." He mutters. I hand him a bowl of ice cream that I found in the freezer. It's pink and I'm sure it's from Apollo's sacred cow. I just hope that Eurytion doesn't mind.

We sit there in silence. Nico eats his ice cream slowly. It must taste good because he doesn't stop.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask.

He shakes his head.

"Do you want me to leave?"

Nico shakes his head again.

Again there is a long moment of silence. It's endless and doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. I look around the guest room. The walls are a dark red and the floor is hardwood. The only furniture in here is the bed and a dresser. On the walls are pictures of Geryon, Eurytion, and people who I don't know. They must be previous 'guests'.

Nico puts down the bowl of ice cream on the dresser. "Can you umm..." Nico stutters. "Can you stay with me? I... I don't want to be alone."

I nod and say yes. I lay down on the bed next to Nico and fall asleep. Several times during the night I hear him crying. I would just hug him and lull him back to sleep.

Poor Nico. He was so driven by the hope of his sister being brought back that he didn't have time to mourn her properly. It must hit him now that his sister is never coming back. That must be incredibly hard since he knows a way to bring Bianca back the living. But he will recover. Nico is strong and he will get over this. He has to, otherwise it will crush him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you for the reviews and favorites! It makes me smile to see that someone took the time out of their day to review. Thank you so much! I love you all!**

* * *

I peer down the hole to the Labyrinth. Last night I was eager to get the quest over with, but now I'm not too keen on going back into the maze. Somehow I'm more scared to return to the maze then I was when the quest began.

"Nico, you could come with us." Percy blurts out.

Nico shakes his head. When he woke up he found a black robe that belonged to Geryon. It's way too big from him and the bottoms are full of dried mud from walking around the ranch. Luckily for me, I brought some spare clothes in my purse so I didn't have to put on my sweaty shirt and shorts again.

"I need time to think." He says. Nico looked down at the ground with dark eyes.

Annabeth places a hand on his shoulder but he flinches away. "Nico, Bianca wants you to be okay." She tells him. He doesn't respond.

Nico starts to go back to the ranch but then turns around to face me. "Don't die. Please don't. You're the only person I have left." He begged.

I give him a reassuring smile. "I promise that nothing will happen to me."

He nods but it looks like he's already preparing himself for my death. Nico walks up the path, towards the ranch. The morning mist clings to the ends of his robe like hands.

Annabeth plays with the hilt of her knife. "I'm worried about him. If he starts talking to Minos or any other ghost again..."

"He won't." I say confidently. Percy nods in agreement.

She looks at me with doubt. "You can't know that for sure."

Eurytion glances at me. "He'll be alright. I'll make sure of it. The boy can stay here and gather his thoughts for as long as he likes. He'll be safe, I promise."

"What about you?" Percy asks. He's worried that Eurytion is going to keep treating the animals like he used to.

He scratches his chin. I didn't notice before, but he trimmed his beard. It looks better now. "Things are going to be run differently. First of all, no more sacred meat. Maybe some soybean patties instead. And I'm going to befriend the flesh-eating horses. Then possibly I can join the next rodeo."

I shudder at the thought of Eurytion riding a flesh-eating horse in the middle of a rodeo. Terrifying.

"Well, good luck." Percy says.

Eurytion nods. "Yep. I reckon that y'all be looking for Daedalus's workshop now?"

Annabeth's eyes lit up like a million Christmas trees. "You know where it is?"

He shakes his head and Annabeth shrinks back. "I have no idea where it is, but I know someone who might. Daedalus was a great inventor, so I'm sure Hephaestus knows where it is."

"That's what Hera said when she visited us in the maze." Annabeth says. She kicks up dirt with her shoe. "But how do we find him?"

Eurytion pulls something from around his neck. It's a necklace with a small, metal disk on the chain. The disk has an impression in the middle that fits a thumb perfectly. He hands it to Annabeth who flips it over several times to get a better look at it. She analyzes it with her cold, grey eyes, taking in every detail.

"Hephaestus comes here from time to time." He tells us. "Studies the animals so he can make automaton copies. Last time he came... I uh... did him a favor. Wanted to play a trick on my dad and Aphrodite. He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said that if I ever need him that the disk would lead me to his forges. But only once, so don't lose it."

Annabeth looks up at the cowherd with wide eyes. "And you're giving it to me?"

I swear that under the large-brim hat, Eurytion blushes. "I don't need the forges, miss. Got enough to do here as it is. Just press that little button and you'll be on your way."

She presses the button. For a second nothing happens, but then it sprouts eight metallic legs. Annabeth shrieks, drops it, and jumps back three feet. "Spider! I touched a spider!" She screams. Annabeth takes out her dagger and holds it in front of her.

"She's afraid of spiders. You know, the old grudge between Athena and Arachne." Grover explains to Eurytion.

Eurytion blushes again. He tips his hat at her. "Sorry, miss."

The spider crawls through the cattle guard and into the Labyrinth.

"We should hurry. I don't think it's going to wait for us." Percy says. Tyson rips off the cattle guard and we jump into the hole. I look up to see Annabeth still standing there.

"Do you think that there is another way to get to Hephaestus's forge? Maybe a way that doesn't involve a spider?" She asks. The fact that she isn't rushing to follow the spider to the forge just shows how terrified she is of the creatures.

"It's the only way. Hurry or we'll lose it." I tell her.

Annabeth reluctantly gets in the hole. We run after the spider but it's so fast. Most of the time it is so far ahead that I can't see it. Whenever we lose sight of it, Tyson and Grove would listen for it and we would run that direction. Without them, we would've been terribly lost.

We reach a room where there is a dark hole with only metal rings to go across. The spider jumps from bar to bar, not bothering to wait for us.

Annabeth smirks. "Monkey bars. I'm great at these."

I scowl at the rusty death-trap. "I just hope we don't get tetanus from this thing." I reach up and grab the bar. As fast as I can, I make my way across the hole. I don't trust these bars so I won't dare stay on them for longer than I have to.

Tyson gives Grover a piggy back ride across. It's impressive how many rungs he can skip in a single swing. Tyson reaches across and manage to do three at a time. When he jumps down on the platform, the last metal rung breaks. Good thing he got off when he could.

We continue to run after the spider. Percy slips on a bunch of wood pieces. I look down to see that they're pencils. Thousands of broken pencils. Percy and I share a concerned look. This doesn't look good at all. Grover looks even more terrified than he already is at the pencils.

We enter a large room and a blazing light hits us with such force that I take a step back. When my eyes adjust to the sudden light, I glance around at my surroundings. Skeletons everywhere. Some are old with only their clothes on their bones. Others are... newer. In the middle of the room is a woman with the body of a lion. Her hair is tied up in a tight bun and has green eye shadow on. The part of me that is Aphrodite comes out. If she used a neutral brown color instead of the ghastly green, it would highlight her eyes perfectly. And also, she could do without such a bold color lipstick. It doesn't look good on her at all.

Tyson whimpers. "Sphinx." He mutters.

Annabeth steps forward. The sphinx lets out a roar that doesn't sound natural coming out of her mouth. Bars fall over the doorways, effectively locking us in. The sphinx gives us a stunning smile, showing us her huge fangs. "Get ready to play... ANSWER THAT RIDDLE!"

From a speaker behind us comes a pre-recorded applause. Multicolored spotlights dance around the room wildly. It looks like a bad tv show. And growing up in Olympus, I have seen plenty. Now all they show up there are reality shows that lack any emotion. Pitiful, actually.

"Fabulous prizes!" The sphinx says in a tv show-like voice. "Pass the test and I allow you to advance on. Fail and I get to eat you! Now, which of you lovely children will be the contestant?" She raises an expecting eyebrow.

Annabeth turns towards us. "I've got this. I _know_ which riddle she's going to ask." Annabeth steps forward to the contestant podium. She has to push the skeleton out of the way so that she can stand behind it.

The sphinx grins. "Welcome Annabeth Chase! Are you ready for your test?"

She nods confidently. "Yes. Ask your riddle."

"Twenty riddles, actually!" The sphinx says so gleefully that I'm sure if she had normal hands, she would be clapping in excitement.

Annabeth's mouth drops. "Twenty?" She exclaims incredulously. "But in the past-"

"Oh! We're raised our standards." The sphinx interrupts. "To pass, you must answer twenty correctly. Isn't this just great?"

The applause goes off as if it's the best thing in the world.

Annabeth squares her shoulders. "Alright then. I'm ready. Ask your twenty riddles."

A drumroll sounds but I can't seem to find the drum. It's a pre-recorded noise like the applause. "What... is the capital of Bulgaria?" The sphinx is barely able to hide the excitement in her voice.

Annabeth's eyebrows come together in confusion. "Sofia... but what...?"

"Correct!" The sphinx yells. The room fills with fake applause. Out of the corner of my eye I see Tyson clapping along, encouraging Annabeth. "Please make sure to mark the bubble on your test sheet clearly and with a number 2 pencil. The machine won't pick up anything other than that." The sphinx giggles.

Annabeth's face falls slack in disbelief. A test booklet with a sharpened pencil appears in front of her.

"Make sure to fill the bubble completely and stay inside the circle." The sphinx says like a kind parent reminding their child to do something. "If you have to erase, then erase completely. If you don't, then the machine won't be able to read your answers. And nobody wants that."

"What machine?" Annabeth asks.

The sphinx gestures her paw to the corner of the room. A large spotlight shines over a box with gears sticking out of it. On the side of the machine is the symbol of Hephaestus.

"Next question!" The sphinx exclaims.

Annabeth holds up her hand to stop her. "Wait just one second! What ever happened to the old riddle?" She sees the sphinx's clear confusion. Annabeth sighs. "You know, the one about 'What walks on four legs in the morning'?"

The sphinx raises an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?" She says, sounding truly insulted.

"You riddle about the man! He walks on four legs in the morning, like a baby. Two legs in the afternoon and three at night, like an old man with a cane." Annabeth places her hands on her hips. "_That's_ the riddle you're supposed to ask. Or at least used to."

The sphinx growls softly. "Exactly why the test was changed! You already knew the answer! What point would it be if everyone knew all the answers? Now, enough! Next question. What's the square root of sixteen?"

"Four, but-"

"Right! Which president signed the Emancipation Proclamation?" The sphinx doesn't give her any time to talk. She's just firing off questions.

"Abraham Lincoln, but-"

"Correct! Riddle number four: how much-"

"Hold up!" Annabeth shouts over the sphinx. "Those aren't riddles." She says in a much quieter voice.

The sphinx bares its fangs. "What do you mean? Of course they are! This test has been specially designed-"

"It's just a bunch of dumb, random facts!" Annabeth exclaims. "Riddles are supposed to make you think. All I'm doing is listing off a bunch of well-known facts."

The sphinx frowns. The poor monster looks incredibly confused. "Think? Why, that can't work at all! How am I supposed to test whether you can think? It makes no sense. Now, how much force is-"

"Stop!" Annabeth interrupts again. "This just a stupid test. I refuse to take it."

"Uh, Annabeth?" Grover cuts in. Annabeth and the sphinx's sharp eyes dig into the satyr. "Maybe you should just answer the questions and complain later."

Annabeth throws the pencil off of the podium. The sphinx roars in frustration. "I'm a Child of Athena." She states. "And this is an insult to my intelligence! I won't answer any of your silly questions." Annabeth crosses her arms defiantly. The look on her face is stone cold.

The sphinx's eyes turn a dark black. "If you won't pass, then you automatically fail. And since no child is to be held back, I'm afraid you MUST BE EATEN!" She bares her claws and pounces towards Annabeth on the podium.

I take out my knife and have it grow to full length. Percy uncaps Riptide and Grover begins going into action with his reed pipes.

"No!" Tyson growls. He charges the sphinx like a rhino. Tyson intercepts her midair.

Percy and I step in front of Annabeth like an impenetrable shield. He keeps his eyes on the sphinx the whole time that he speaks to her. "Turn invisible!"

Annabeth draws her knife with a glare. "I can fight." She sneers.

"No!" I tell her. Annabeth looks at me with wide eyes, as if she can't believe that I denied her a fight with the sphinx. "She's after you! Not us. Let us take care of her."

The sphinx knocks Tyson away with one paw. She pounces again towards Annabeth but Grover pokes her in the eye with a bone. The sphinx tries to swipe at Grover but I block her claw with the side of my sword. I try to stab her but she is too fast. The sphinx smacks me with her paw, sending me flying like Tyson had only seconds ago.

Annabeth finally puts on her cap. Instantly she turns invisible. And when the sphinx pounces on the spot Annabeth was standing, she comes empty-handed. "No fair! Cheater!" The sphinx hisses.

The sphinx begins to turn to Percy. He raises his sword but it's not necessary. Tyson picks up her grading machine and hurls it at her head. She tumbles back into the podium with a loud thud. The gates rise up so we can escape.

"My grading machine! You'll pay!" She snarls. She gets back on her feet and charges towards us.

My hands feel for my flashlight in my purse. "Look away!" I command. I turn the dial the brightest that it can go and turn it on.

It's like the sun is with us in the room. The inside of my eyelids turn bright orange. I hear the sphinx screech in pain, but I'm too busy blindly finding my way to the exit. I turn off the flashlight since I'm sure the monster has been blinded long enough.

I feel several pairs of hands pull me into the tunnel before the gates slam down.

"Annabeth?" Percy asks. He looks around wildly. He evens starts to feel around in the air for any sign of her.

"Right here. Keep moving!" Annabeth says right next to him. She takes off her cap and slips it in her pocket. We don't need to be told twice. We run through the tunnels, after the soft, distant sounds of the spider.

We stand in front of an oval door. The spider bangs its head on it, not understanding that the door is closed. On the door is the symbol for Hephaestus. We came to the right place.

"Ready to meet Hephaestus?" Grover asks. He gnaws on his shirt nervously.

"No." Percy and I say at the same time, me much more bitter than him.

Tyson smiles. "Yes!" He exclaims. Tyson turns the wheel to the door and it flies open.

The room is enormous. It's so big that I think that there might not be a beginning or end to it. Everywhere on benches and on the floor are parts of past projects. There are several hydraulic lifts. Several have cars on them while others have mechanical horses. Behind us is a wall with tools on it with white silhouettes where the right tools are supposed to go. Hephaestus is not very organized because nothing is in the right place.

Under a hydraulic lift is a pair of legs sticking out. The metal brace on his leg is a sign that it is indeed the god Hephaestus.

The spider dashes over to the man and crawls under the car. I hear a low chuckle. "Well, well. What do we have here?" Hephaestus rolls out from under the car. He sits up on the trolley. The spider makes several noises that sound affectionate. Hephaestus plucks it off his shirt with two fingers. Even though his fingers are huge, he is able to disassemble and reassemble the delicate creature within seconds. Hephaestus smiles. The bulges on his face stand out even more than usual. "Much better."

The spider then swings on a silver, metallic thread deeper into the workshop. It seems so happy.

Hephaestus narrows his eyes. He looks each of us up and down, as if he's trying to figure out what makes us tick. "I didn't make you, did I?"

Annabeth shifts on her feet. "Umm... no you didn't... sir."

The god nods in approval. "Good. Shoddy workmanship." He grumbles under his breath not so quietly. Hephaestus stands up. His frown deepens when he sees me. "Aikarina. Nice to see you again." He says coldly.

I raise my chin with pride. "Lord Hephaestus." I clip.

His eyes travel over to Percy and Annabeth. "Halfbloods. Could be automatons. You can never be too sure."

Percy seems slightly insulted. "We've already met, Lord Hephaestus."

The god scratches at his beard. Several sparks fly off. "Have we?" He says absently. "Well, if I didn't smash you the first time then I suppose I won't have to now. Unless a certain Daughter of Aphrodite does something she isn't supposed to."

A flash of anger courses through me. I get that he's furious with my mom for picking Ares over him. That I can understand. I also know that he absolutely _hated_ my father. So I guess when the two people that he dislikes the most have a child together, it's only natural for him to hate the kid.

"Don't worry, Hephaestus. I won't touch anything." I grit through my teeth.

The god glares at me. "Too bad. Would've given me a proper excuse." He looks at Grover with a frown. "Satyr." He states the obvious. He moves down the line to Tyson. His eyes twinkle like the stars. "Cyclopes. Good. Very good. What are you doing traveling with this lot?"

Tyson stares up at the god with wonder. The only sound that comes out of his mouth is 'uhhhhhhhhhhh'.

Hephaestus nods. "Well said. So there better be a good reason that you're disturbing me and my work. The suspension on the Corolla isn't going to fix itself." He jabs a thumb back to the car on the lift.

"Sir," Annabeth starts. She looks around and Percy nods for her to continue, "we're looking for Daedalus. We thought that maybe-"

Hephaestus's beard bursts into puffs of angry flames. "Daedalus?" He roars. "That old scoundrel? You dare seek him out?"

Annabeth waits until the last flame dies out in his facial year. "Well... yes."

He crosses his arms and huffs. "You're wasting your time." His eyes scan over us but then stops at a workbench behind us. His mouth forms a terrible scowl. It's like he can only focus on this one thing otherwise he will go crazy. He limps past us and reaches the workbench. All I see is a lump of springs and gears, but Hephaestus sees more. With careful hands, he picks the parts up and forms a bronze falcon. It spreads its wings and flies around the room in circles.

Tyson laughs at it in delight. The bird flies down and lands on his shoulder. Tyson's laughter becomes even louder when the bird nips his ear affectionately.

Hephaestus walks in front of Tyson. "I sense you have something to tell me, brave cyclops."

Tyson nods. He pats the bird on its head before it takes flight again. "Y-Yes my lord. We met a Hundred Handed One. Briares." Hephaestus doesn't look surprised. Tyson looks close to tears. "He was scared. He wouldn't help us."

"And that bothered you?"

"Yes!" Tyson exclaims. His voice cracks slightly. "Briares is strong and brave! At least, he was supposed to be. But he ran away."

Hephaestus grunts in agreement. "I admired the Hundred Handed Ones back during the time of the war. But people, monsters, and even gods change." His mouth turns to a scowl. "You can't trust 'em. Look at my 'loving' mother Hera, for example. She'll smile at your face and tell you how important family is. But then she'll turn around and pitch you off of Mount Olympus because ya have an ugly face." Hephaestus looks at me with empathy. "Or maybe because ya have a little more power than the other kids."

I gulp back the fear at what he's implying.

"But I thought Zeus did that to you." Percy says.

Hephaestus snaps his fingers and the falcon returns to the workbench. It's eyes dim out and it slumps like it's sleeping. "Mother likes the story better. Makes her more lovable, doesn't it? Blaming it all on dad and he doesn't bother to correct it. The truth is, my mother likes families. Nothing wrong with that, but she likes a certain _kind_ of families. Perfect ones. She took one look at my ugly face and I just didn't fit in her picture."

For the first time since I got here, I feel bad for him. What Hera did to him was wrong. I never knew what happened, not completely. Athena made sure to not gossip about the gods so she didn't say anything. If what Hephaestus said is true, then my opinion of Hera is all wrong.

Hephaestus limps over to the workbench and plucks a bronze feather out of the back of the falcon. The gears fall apart to a mess. "Believe me, young cyclopes. You cannot trust others. The only things you can trust are what you make with your own hands." His eyes zero in on Percy. "Oh, this one doesn't like me." He muses. "I'm used to it. What would you ask of me, little demigod?"

"We already told you. We want to find Daedalus. There's this guy named Luke who works for Kronos. He's trying to find a way to navigate the Labyrinth so he can invade camp. If he gets to Daedalus before-"

"And I _told _you that you're wasting your time." Hephaestus interrupts. "He won't help you."

I clench my hands together. "And why not?" I ask.

Hephaestus shrugs like to say that it isn't his problem. "Some of us get thrown off mountainsides. Others learn not to trust people in a much more painful way. Ask me for gold, a flaming sword, or a magical steed. I can grant those easily. But a way to Daedalus... that's an expensive favor."

Annabeth raises an eyebrow. "You know where he is then?"

He raises a finger. "It isn't wise to go looking."

Her back becomes a little straighter and her chin is a tad higher with pride. "My mother told me that looking is the nature of wisdom."

The god narrows his eyes at her. "Who's your mother then?"

"Athena." Annabeth tells him.

Hephaestus sighs. "Figures. Fine goddess. Shame that she refuses to marry. Alright, halfblood, I will tell you what you want to know. There is a price, though. I need a favor done."

"Name it." Annabeth says without hesitation.

He laughs. It's literally the first time that I've seen him really laugh. It kind of scares me. His voice bounces around the room like ping-pong balls. "You heroes always make rash promises. How refreshing!" He wipes a stray tear from his eye.

Hephaestus walks over to a bench and pushes a button. A huge tv pops up. On the screen is a mountain with smoke coming up from the top.

He points towards the image. "One of my forges." Hephaestus looks at it thoughtfully. "I have many but this one was my favorite."

Grover's eyes light up. "That's Mount St. Helens. Great forests around there. Just breathtaking."

"You've been there?" Percy asks him.

Grover's smile fades. "Yeah... while I was looking for Pan."

Annabeth stares at the screen then looks back at the god. "What do you mean by _was_ your favorite?"

"That's where the monster Typhon is kept." He tells us. "Used to be under Mount Etna but when we moved to America he got pinned under Mount St. Helens. Great source of fire. Perfect for a forge. A bit dangerous though, but that isn't a huge deal. There's always that small chance that he's going to escape again. Lots of eruptions these days and smoldering always. Typhon is getting restless."

"What do you want us to do? Fight him?" Percy asks, though it's clear he doesn't like the idea.

The god snorts like it's the most hilarious joke in the world. "Of course not! That's suicide. Pray that you never get to see him. Even the gods ran from him while he was free." His face turns back to his usual frown. "But the point is, lately I have sensed intruders. When I go there, it's mysteriously empty, but I can sense that someone has been there. The sense me coming but then disappear. I sent some automatons but they never come back. I want to know who _dares_ to invade my territory and if they mean to let Typhon free."

"So what you want is for us to find out who it is."

Hephaestus nods. "Go there. They won't sense you coming. You're not gods." His eyes land on me. "I'm not sure if they will sense you or not. You're powerful, but not a god... Oh, you'll just have to find out yourself. Go and find out what you can. Report back to me and I will tell you what you need to find Daedalus."

"How do we get there?" Annabeth asks.

Hephaestus claps his hands. The spider from before swings on a web and lands at Annabeth's feet. She flinched but stands her ground. Her lip trembles slightly but her face remains emotionless.

"My creation will show you the way. It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons."

The spider crawls to the door. It hits its head against it until Tyson opens it. The spider then disappears into the Labyrinth. It doesn't seem to be waiting like before, so we run after it.

Grover looks at me occasionally while we're running. The looks he's giving me make me feel uneasy.

I catch him looking at me again. "What, Grover?" I snap, very irritated now.

He blushes from being caught. "You aren't a halfblood, are you?"

I shake my head.

"What are you then?" Percy asks. I see Annabeth and Percy slow down so they can hear the answer.

I shrug mid stride. I might as well start giving them a straight answer. "I guess I'm in between a god and a demigod. My dad was a halfblood and my mom is Aphrodite."

"Gross." Annabeth mutters. When she sees me staring at her, she shakes her head wildly. "I don't mean you, it's just... that seems so... forbidden."

"Well, Aphrodite is a fan of forbidden love, after all." I mutter under my breath, so quietly that no one hears me.

We continue to run through the Labyrinth as fast as we can. The spider leads us through all the safe hallways so we don't run into any traps or monsters, so we're making great time. Then, we get to the roots.

There is a tunnel that looks like it was dug through the dirt. Roots stick out like claws. The air around it seems to have a trace of power in it. It's unconsciously drawing me towards it.

Grover stops in his tracks. He stares at the tunnels with large eyes. The rest of us stop to see what is wrong.

"What is it?" Percy asks. He places a hand on Grover's shoulder to get his attention but Grover stands still like a statue. His mouth even falls open in amazement.

Annabeth looks down the corridor anxiously. "Come on, we have to keep going."

Grover reaches for the tunnel with his hands. "This is it. This is the way."

Percy's eyebrows come together. "Way to what? To... Pan?"

Grover looks at Tyson with a hopeful expression. "Don't you smell it?"

Tyson dramatically sniffs the air. "Dirt and plants."

Grover nods like that just confirmed everything. "Yes, this is it. I know it."

Annabeth looks back at the spider. It's almost all the way down the corridor. If it turns, then we will lose it. "We'll come back later. I promise. On our way back to Hephaestus."

"The tunnel will be gone by then." I say. "All these tunnels will be different by then." Annabeth glares at me only worsening the situation.

Grover takes a small step into the new tunnel. His hand reaches out to the dirt. "I have to follow it. A door like this won't stay open forever!"

Annabeth frowns. "But we can't! The forges."

Grover looks at her sadly. He knows what has to happen but Annabeth doesn't. "I have to, Annabeth. Don't you see? This is what I have to do."

"We'll split up." Percy offers.

"No!" Annabeth yells. She lowers her voice. "No. That's too dangerous. We might not be able to find each other again. And Grover can't go alone. What if something happens?"

Tyson puts a large hand on Grover's shoulder. "I'll go."

Percy looks like he just saw a two-headed rooster fly across the sky on the back of a unicorn. "Tyson? Are you sure?"

He nods. "I'm sure. I'm not like Hephaestus. I trust friends."

Grover takes in a deep breath. He's doing very well in staying strong. "We'll find each other again. We have the empathy link so you'll know if anything happens. I just... have to go."

"I hope you're right."

Grover smiles. "I know I am." He sounds so sure of himself. Tyson and Grover then both disappear into the strange tunnel.

Annabeth shakes her head. "This is really bad. Splitting up is bad."

"We'll see them again." Percy says. He doesn't sound so confident. "Yeah, we'll see them again. Now, let's go! That spider is getting away."

We break out in a sprint. I have never ran so fast in my entire life. Luckily for us, we catch up to the spider. It bends and weaves down tunnels. Soon enough the tunnels get hot. Percy and Annabeth are starting to sweat, but the heat doesn't seem to affect me. The stone walls glow a dull amber color. The wall becomes thick and muggy. It's hard to breath.

"Hey Annabeth." Percy calls out.

Annabeth chances a look over her shoulder to him. "Yeah?"

"Hephaestus said something about Athena back there..."

"About swearing never to marry?" Annabeth asks.

"That's it." Percy says.

"Like Artemis and Hestia, she is one of the maiden goddesses." Annabeth answers.

Percy blinks in confusion. "But then-"

"How does she have children?" Annabeth guesses that is Percy's question.

Percy nods. I stifle a laugh at how red his face is. He's blushing really bad now. I cough to hide my laughter. "Percy, do you know how Athena was born?" I answer his question with another question.

"She sprung from the head of Zeus in full battle armor or something like that." He says.

"Right. She wasn't born the normal way." Annabeth tells him. "She was literally born from thoughts. Her children are born the same way. When Athena falls in love with a mortal man, it's all intellectual. It's a meeting of minds. She'll tell you that it's the purest of all love." Annabeth says with a half dreamy expression.

If it's even possible, Percy's blush gets even redder. "So your dad and Athena... you weren't...ahh…"

"I was literally a brain child. Children of Athena are sprung from the divine thoughts of Athena and the mortal ingenuity of our fathers. We're supposed to be a gift to the men Athena favors."

"But-" Percy starts.

"Percy, the spider's getting away." Annabeth interrupts. "Do you really want to hear about how I was born?"

Percy looks down at the ground. "Umm... no... no, it's fine."

Annabeth smirks. I have to cover my mouth with my hand to keep myself from bursting out in laughter. "I thought not." Annabeth quips.

We finally emerge into a large cavern. The spider stops and curls up into a tight ball. Instead of a stone floor, a crater of lava. It sputters occasionally and blasts us with waves of heat. There is a network of metal bridges above it, but they don't look very safe. At the center is the largest anvil there is with a block of metal.

Annabeth picks up the spider with the tips of her fingers. With an obvious grimace, she drops it in her pocket. "I can investigate. You two stay here."

"Annabeth!" I exclaim. Percy reaches out for her before she turns invisible, but it's too late. Annabeth is already somewhere in the cavern.

"I can't believe she just left us like that. I thought splitting up was bad." Percy mutters under his breath.

We stand there silently but not motionless. Percy is rocking on his feet, back and forth while I'm flipping my knife around in my hands. We can't sit still. It's impossible. Maybe it has something to do with our fighter instincts that are imbedded in our DNA or that we can't stand Annabeth being in there alone.

Percy lets out a long sigh. "I can't wait any longer." He takes a step towards the cavern. "You coming?"

I nod. "Definitely."

We creep along the side of the wall. Occasionally my hand touches the stone and I'm sure it burned me. I can feel the pain. But when I glance at my hands, they're healed. Benefit of fast healing. I sneak a look at Percy. We haven't even been in the cavern for five minutes and he's drenched in sweat.

We keep going along the thin walkway until we are blocked by a metal cart. I lift the tarp to find it full of scrap metal.

"Bring it in?" A raspy voice says.

"Yeah. The movie's almost done." Another voice says.

There is a moment where Percy and my brains are perfectly in synch. We both jump into the cart, nearly kicking each other in the face, and pull the tarp over the top. Percy curls his fingers around Riptide. I take out my knife with my hand on the gem, just in case I have to grow it to a full sword.

The cart lurches forward. I lose my balance and land completely on Percy.

'Sorry!' I mouth to him. We both blush when we realize that we are in a really compromising position. I slowly back off of him, careful not to shake the cart.

"Oi! Thing weighs a ton." The first raspy voice grunts. I scowl. Are they saying that we're fat?

The other one scoffs at him. "It's celestial bronze. Of course it weighs a ton."

They push us around a corner into a smaller room. I hear chattering of multiple voices and the sound of an old projector.

"Just set it in the back." A low voice commands. "Now younglings, please pay special attention to the film. There will be plenty of time for questions later."

The voices quiet down and I can hear the film better. It seems to be some sort of puberty video for a monster saying things like 'if you have the sudden urge to devour human beings, don't be worried. That happens to every growing monster'. It's really odd and I do my best to tune it out. I really don't want to learn about the puberty of whatever the creatures outside the cart are.

The film finally comes to an end. "Now younglings. What is the proper name for our kind?"

"Sea demons!" A voice shouts out.

"No, anyone else?"

"Telekhines." A voice growls. My eyes grow wide. Great. This is just great. We're going to be potentially murdered by a bunch of dogfish.

"Very good! And why are we here?"

"Revenge!" The students shout out at once.

"Yes, yes. But why?" The teacher asks.

"Zeus is evil!" One shouts. The rest yelp in agreement. "He cast us into Tartarus just because we used magic!"

"Indeed!" The teacher says with happiness. "After we made some of the gods' finest weapons too! Like the trident of Poseidon, for one. Nonetheless, Zeus tossed us aside and relied on those fumbling cyclops. This is exactly why we are taking over the forges of Hephaestus! And soon we will control the undersea forges! Who do we serve?"

"Kronos!" The students shout out.

"And when you grow up into big Telekhines, will you make weapons for the army?"

"Yes!"

"Excellent! We've brought some scraps for you to practice with. Let's see how ingenious you all are!"

The tarp is thrown back. I jump up with my sword at full length. Percy and I go back to back.

"Two demigods!" One of them snarls.

"Eat them!" Another growls.

I slash my sword, taking out at least five of the Telekhines at once. Percy does the same. The first row dissolves into piles of dust.

"Next lesson, class." Percy announces. "Most monsters will vaporize from one slash of a celestial bronze sword. This change is perfectly normal and will happen if you don't BACK OFF!"

Surprisingly, it works. They back off several feet but they still are growling at us. I hold out my sword at arm's length as I jump out of the cart.

"CLASS DISMISSED!" Percy yells.

We run as fast as we can towards the exit. One of the Telekhines lunges towards me. It tries to bite my left arm but Percy tugs me forward just in time. Without breaking my stride, I stab it with my sword.

There is a door that leads to the main cavern so we don't have to find our way through the tunnels. The Telekhines are barking like dogs that see a squirrel. It's insane.

We push through the door and lock it behind us.

"Do you think they can open doors?" Percy asks. He wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead.

I shrug. "I really don't want to stay and find out."

He nods. We run through towards the center of the walkways in the middle of the lava pit. Maybe we will see Annabeth, or most likely she will see us and we can get out of here.

"Annabeth?" Percy yells. I see him get pulled down behind a bronze cauldron. I am just about to jab whoever is there with my sword when I'm pulled down too.

Annabeth takes off her invisible cap. She looks like a mess. I grab her arm and untangle her hair and have all the ash fall off of her. "Thanks." Annabeth mutters. She glares at Percy as if he's a little kid causing trouble in public. "Percy, what is your problem? Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"We're going to have company." I tell her.

Percy nods. "There's a class of these dog creatures. I think they're called Telekhines. Anyways, they're making weapons for Kronos and they're going to try to kill us very shortly."

Annabeth's eyes widen. "That's what they are." She says. "Telekhines. I didn't know but that makes sense. And look what they're making."

We look around the cauldron to see them making a blade on an anvil. The Telekhines are at least eight feet tall. Much larger and scarier than the ones in the classroom.

"What is it?" I wonder out loud.

Annabeth shakes her head. "I have no clue, but they keep talking about fusing metals."

"They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon." Percy tells her. He looks down at the catwalk. "They said that they made my father's trident."

"The Telekhines betrayed the gods. They were practicing dark magic. I don't know what exactly... but Zeus banished them to Tartarus." Annabeth tells him.

"Like Kronos."

"Exactly like Kronos."

I look back at the classroom door warily. "We really need to get out of here." The minute I say that, the door bursts open. Telekhines rush out and look wildly around the cavern, figuring out which way to go first.

Percy turns to Annabeth. "Put your cap back on. You both get out!"

Both of our mouths fall open. "What?" Annabeth shrieks in disbelief. "We're not leaving you!"

I frown at Percy. "Annabeth's right. There is no way that we're leaving you."

"I have a plan. I'll distract them so you can get out. Use the metal spider to get back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

Annabeth looks like she's about to beat Percy up. "But you'll be killed!" She says.

He shakes his head. "I'll be fine. We have no choice."

I stand up and prepare to run. Annabeth stares at Percy for several seconds. She looks like she's conflicted over whether to punch Percy or hug him. Instead, she kisses him. When she pulls away, Percy's face is a bright red and he looks like he's in a daze.

"Be careful, Seaweed Brain." She says. Annabeth puts on her hat, grabs my arm, and runs down the catwalk. It wasn't much longer when we heard the barking of the Telekhines.

Most of them are focused on Percy, but several see me. I'm not invisible like Annabeth is. They run towards me as fast as they can, which is pretty fast even though they have flippers instead of legs.

"Annabeth, go without me." I say to the air, hoping that Annabeth is in that general direction.

"Not you too! I'm not leaving you!" Annabeth hisses.

I shake my head. "They see me, not you. There's not too many. I'll take care of them and get both Percy and me out of here."

There is a long silence. I can't see Annabeth's face so I don't know how she feels about this idea. I feel her let go of my arm. "Fine. But you better still be here when I get back."

I nod. I hear Annabeth run down the catwalk. The Telekhines begin to surround me. They snap at me with their teeth, but before they could get close to me, I slice them with my sword.

I hear Percy scream. I look over to see the Telekhines throwing lava at him. "Percy!" I yell.

He doesn't hear me over the sound of his own screams. I guess he thought that I got out of here.

What happens next is a blur. One second I'm stabbing dog-like creatures then the next I am flying out of the volcano at top speeds. For a second it's peaceful just looking at the earth around me. It feels like I'm gliding. My body stings everywhere, but the breeze feels nice. Then I start to fall. The earth comes towards me at startling speeds. I hear a scream. Someone's screaming. It takes a millisecond to register in my mind that the terrifying scream is coming from my mouth. The trees come closer and closer until I can just touch them. The grass comes closer and closer until I feel a sharp pain then pure darkness.

* * *

It feels like a hand is pressing down on my chest, pushing me back inside my body. The hand has claws and it's digging into my heart. A deep feeling of sadness washes over me but I don't know why. I feel... dark inside.

My eyes flutter open. I try to lift my head but I can't seem to move anything.

"Lay still, my child." A woman with dark hair that reaches only to her shoulders says. She has a dark black robe decorated with different runes. The occasionally glow a faint blue when her hand passes over them. "You are still recovering."

"Hecate." I strain out but it sounds like a jumble of syllables.

She nods, somehow understanding me. "Yes, it is me. Now lay still. Your trip to death did not bode well for your soul or your body." Hecate lifts up the back of my head. I bite my lip to keep myself from crying out in pain. She pours some water from a jug into my mouth, which I happily drink. I'm so thirsty and so hungry.

"Kronos." I gasp. Somehow I can't speak more than one word at a time.

Hecate shakes her head. "I have not told him about you, Aikarina. He does not know where you are."

"Why?" I turn my head to get a better look at her. My neck burns at every movement.

"Hush, child. Rest now and we will talk." She waves a hand over my eyes and against my will, I fall asleep.

* * *

My dream starts out blurry like an old television set. Everywhere I look, there is a mist. The floor is a large mirror that gives the landscape a surreal appearance. I don't hurt anymore but I know that my body is still recovering from the fall. How could I have survived that?"

"You didn't." I hear Hecate say. I turn around to see her standing behind me. A small weasel-like creature rubs its face against her cheek.

"What do you mean?" I take a step forward.

She makes the creature disappear in a puff of smoke. Hecate walks over to me with such grace that it seems like she's floating. If I didn't see her long high heels step on the ground, I would've thought that she was flying.

"You died when you fell. You went to the Underworld and faced judgment like every soul." She tells me. Hecate brushes back a piece of my hair. Her fingernails are so long. "Your trial was short and precise. You were sent to the Fields of Asphodel." Hecate's eyes flash.

My eyebrows come together. "Fields of Asphodel? How did I get that?"

The corners of her mouth raise in a small smirk. "You were to have Elysium, until you nearly attacked the judges when they insulted your father."

That sounds like me. I look at my surroundings. "This doesn't look like the Fields of Asphodel."

She laughs. "Oh, child, you aren't in the Underworld anymore. You see, exactly four hours after you died. Your heart restarted itself. However, you were sleeping for much longer." Hecate places a finger under my chin. "You heal yourself. Basically, you have a form of immortality. You may die at any time, but you never will stay that way."

I take an involuntary step back. "So if I died, then why don't I remember anything about the Underworld?"

Hecate gives me an evil grin. "Of course you do, but remember, you were sent to the Fields of Asphodel. Everything you were was repressed until you returned to the living. Your memories of the Underworld are repressed right now like your past life was when you were dead. These sorts of things are so easy to access..."

Before I can react she mutters an incantation and touches my forehead with her thumb. Flashbacks of the Underworld race through my mind. All the loneliness that I felt. How sad I was that I couldn't touch something as simple as a tree branch. The emptiness in my belly. I'm so cold… so very cold… and even scarier, I felt so empty. Like a hallow husk walking along the field with millions of souls just like me.

She pulls her thumb away from my head. I gasp and fall to the ground at her feet. "Being dead is not a fun experience. It can become quite depressing. Even for those who go to the Isle of the Blessed. You felt a darkness inside you when you came back, did you not?"

"I did." I whisper. Inside I shudder at the feeling. It's still there deep down. Right next to the caged anger.

"Just another thing for you to carry around. I must warn you that every form of immortality comes with a price. The gods' price is that we can never be with the ones that we love. We always will lose our lovers and children. Nothing is permanent in our lives. Your price is that a small bit of darkness follows you out of the Underworld. I warn you that it will build up. If it continues to build, then it will consume you in the end."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Her lips come to a frown. "Because I want to help you. You are magnificent. There has never been a person like you."

I narrow my eyes. "I'm guessing that you aren't just helping me because you're such a kind goddess. You're doing this for Kronos."

She shakes her head. "No. I'm doing this for us." Hecate takes several large strides until she is right in front of me. "I need an ace up my sleeve. Something that I can use, if needed, in the future. You _are_ that ace."

"I'm not anyone's to use." I snap at her. She doesn't seem affected by my words.

"You have a talent." She starts, not responding to my comment. "A talent that cannot be pushed or prodded. That would only soil it. No. It must be eased and come willingly. As much as I want you to join the Titans, I will not force you."

I cross my arms. "So you just want to use me?"

The edges of her lips curl up in a temporary smile. "I admit, some of my reasons to help you are selfish. However, I am also helping you because I genuinely want to help. The gods were wrong to suppress you. They should've encouraged you to your full potential!"

"And what is my full potential?"

She laughs again. "Nobody knows. Not even silly Apollo with his prophecies. I am also somewhat prophetic. I see multiple outcomes. I see a possibility that I can approve of in the future. Much more than if the Titans reign over Olympus. And this outcome needs you to help make it happen."

"What is the outcome?"

She taps her chin with her finger. "I cannot say, but it's a wonderful one. One that will bring back honor to me and my children. There is a war coming, you know that as well as I. There are multiple ways that this can end. Some of them good, some bad. Not all the futures that benefit me happen if the Titans win."

I try to piece everything that she is saying together. "So, you're not with the Titans?"

"Oh, I'm definitely on the Titan's side during this war."

"But you just said-"

She waves her hand like it's nothing. "I'm trying to tell you is that if the Titans do not win the war, I will still benefit from it. That's all I will say about this matter." Hecate strokes her hand along a ruin on her robe. The landscape changes to a living room. She takes a seat on a green chair I take a seat on an ugly, floral print couch

I place my hand son my knees. "I just want to get a couple of things straight. You aren't going to turn me into Kronos."

Hecate nods. "Correct."

"You want me to unlock my full potential."

She nods her head again. "Also correct."

"And you want to use me so that you get an outcome that you want."

The goddess smiles. "You always were a smart girl. The gods were foolish to give you up. They were foolish for killing your father too. He was a brave hero. Always did quest for the gods and how did they repay him? With eternal damnation in the Underworld. Tell me; are you not angry at them? They poisoned your father. Your mother didn't bother to play a role in your raising. They kicked you out of the only home you have ever known. Doesn't that make you want revenge?"

I clench my fists. "Yes, it does make me angry, but not angry enough for revenge. I don't hate the gods. They're my family. I can never hate them but I can hate the things they do."

Hecate taps the coffee table with a long finger. "Kronos can make sure that nothing like that can ever happen again. _You_ can change everything. You're one small bit of power away from becoming a full-fledged goddess. He can make you that after the war."

I feel the atmosphere change from a helpful one to a demanding one. After all this talk about not forcing me, she's trying to recruit me for Kronos! "I don't want to be a goddess. I'm fine the way I am."

Her eyes momentarily bulge in surprise. She recovers very quickly. "Very well, even though I don't see why. That offer will continue to stand. I must go. Kronos will be curious of my disappearance. Here's a tip that I'm sure no other god will tell you. To get from one place to another, see it with your third eye."

She dissolves into a cloud of mist. The scene starts to shake and mold with reality. I open my eyes. I'm awake again. And also in pain again. But now I can at least move my body. With a great amount of effort, I sit up. Now to get home.


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you everyone for your support! I love you all so much! I'm sorry that this update is slightly shorter, but that's because I have been so busy with school that I barely have any time to write anymore. I also get so many ideas about other stories that I sometimes use my writing time to work on them. But don't worry! I'll still update this story, it just might be longer than when I would usually update.**

**I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"See with my third eye." I mutter to myself.

With my left arm, I pull myself up a tree so that I can stand on my feet. It hurts so much. Every bone in my body is broken but mending. It feels like small little construction workers are in my bones fixing all the cracks. It will be several days until I'm completely healed. Never before have I healed myself from such terribly injuries.

I close my eyes and try to picture Camp Halfblood with my third eye. It's a lot harder than it looks considering I don't naturally have three eyes. I try to bend my mind to focus on the place, but it's not working. My legs give out from under my. Pain shoots out from my body as I land on my back and a small cry escapes my lips. Tears rush out of my eyes but I can't bring my arms up to wipe them away.

"I want to go home." I cry out. If you asked what home was more than six months ago, I would've told you Mount Olympus. But now, my home is Camp Halfblood. It has grown on me and it has begun to feel like that was where I truly belong. But, if given the choice, I would gladly go back to Mount Olympus if it means seeing Athena or Apollo again. I miss them so much.

In the tree above me, I hear an owl hoot.

I glare at the bird in the tree. "Just go away." I tell it with irritation seeping through my voice. If I'm going to cry, I don't want anyone to see it. Even if it is something like an owl that can't tell anyone that I was weeping.

It hoots again.

"Go away!" I exclaim. The tears come out faster.

The owl swoops down from the tree and drops something in my lap. It looks like a pill bottle. But when I take a closer look, I see that there is a note on it.

_Take two of these and you won't be feeling pain for a while. Sorry that Zeus isn't allowing any of us to help more. We love you!_

_XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO -Apollo_

_(PS. Athena says hi too.)_

_(PPS. Don't take this with any other medication or alcohol. Could be deadly, sooo... don't do it.)_

A smile climbs on my face and the tears stop flowing. _They have been watching out for me_. The thought makes me incredibly happy inside. I open the bottle and swallow two of the pills. Almost immediately they take effect. My world becomes dizzier and more mushed together, but the pain is gone. I stand up again, this time not limited because of the pain but I'm still careful because I'm healing.

I close my eyes and try to use my third eye. With my mind, I picture the camp with the beautiful strawberry fields and the training arena. I even picture my siblings. I open my eyes and see that nothing has changed.

I growl in frustration. "I just want to go to Camp Halfblood!" I squeeze my eyes shut.

The air around me changes. I open my eyes to see that I'm at the entrance to the camp. My legs tremble as I walk, but I keep going. The travel made my light-headed and dizzier than I already was from the medication.

"RINA!" I hear someone shriek. I turn my head to see Silena sprinting towards me. She looks like a mess. Her hair hasn't been combed and she's wearing sweatpants and a camp T-shirt. Definitely not the Silena I know. The least dressed up I've ever seen her was in jeans and a fancy blouse. She engulfs me in a large hug. "You're okay! You're okay." She mutters into my hair.

I sway on my feet and would've fallen over already if Silena wasn't keeping me stead. "I missed you." I say quietly.

"I missed you too." She pulls away but keeps her hands on my shoulders. "Don't ever make me that worried ever again!"

I smile. "No promises."

Silena frowns but doesn't comment on what I said. "Come on, you look hungry. Let's get you some food." She lets go of me and my vision acts like it is on a spinning top. I fall flat on my face.

My sister's eye grow wide with horror. "Someone help!" She yells. "Can you get up?" She asks me.

"Can't." I mutter into the grass. "Everything is spinning too much."

Several people from the Apollo cabin get a stretcher. They lay me on it then sprint towards the medical wing. I try to lift my head but someone keeps me down. Kayla grabs my hand and gasps in shock. She pulls away like I burned her. "She should be dead. I can sense that almost all of her bones are broken and she's internally bleeding." I hear her yell.

"You sure?" Another person snaps. I try to turn my head to see who is speaking but they keep my head still.

"Yes! 100% sure! She needs a hospital. A _real_ hospital. She needs to go into surgery!" Kayla replies.

"No." I croak out. There is a long silence. "I'll be fine. Just... set me down on a bed."

They take me off the stretcher and place me on the bed in the medical wing. I look around to see four people from the Apollo cabin.

Kayla frowns at me. "You're not thinking right. Your veins are full of adrenaline which is keeping you from thinking right. That and you most likely have a concussion, but I will have to examine you more to be sure.."

"Just... just let me be." I whisper. I can heal myself if given enough time. But I don't want to freak them out with my healing abilities just yet.

She opens her mouth to disagree but Will holds her back. "We'll just take care of her when she's asleep. She'll be out so it will be easier." Will mumbles into her ear, not as quietly as he hoped.

Kayla nods. She digs through several drawers and takes out a bottle of pain killers. She tries to force two pills down my throat but I shake my head.

"I already took something for the pain." I tell her.

Her mouth falls in disbelief. "But how...? You know what? Never mind. We'll check in on you later." She and the rest of the Apollo cabin leave, except for Will who was given the job to look over me.

The door bursts open. Annabeth rushes into the room. Her's eyes are swollen from crying. She looks like she hasn't taken a shower in days and her clothes are wrinkled from continual use. Her eyes grow wide when she sees me sitting on the bed. It's like she sees a ghost. Annabeth rushes to my side.

"Nico said you were dead. He said that he felt your soul go through judgment." Annabeth tells me. Her voice cracks as she speaks. She is careful not to let Will hear her.

I look down at my hands. Of course he would feel it. He's the Son of Hades after all. I hope that he knows that I'm alive again. After all, I promised him that nothing would happen to me.

"Does he know that I'm alive?" I ask.

Annabeth shakes her head.

"Can you Iris message him and tell him?"

"Yeah. I'll Iris message Eurytion tonight." Annabeth says. She wipes her nose with her hand. She looks at Silena who is standing by the doorway. "We'll talk later." Annabeth practically runs out of the room. I hear several small sobs come from her.

Silena breaks out in a smile. She looks like she has been crying, but maybe out of happiness. "I can't believe that you're alive. Annabeth said that you were dead and I didn't want to believe it." She sits on a chair next to the bed.

I manage to crack a smile. "I'm here now. What happened at camp while I was gone?" I ask.

Silena frowns. "Not much except," she pauses. Silena stares at for a couple of seconds then looks away. "We can talk about this later; after you've gotten some rest."

"Tell me, please." I beg.

"No. You will go to sleep and I will tell you later." She says with some power behind her voice. For a second I feel like maybe I _should _go to sleep and forget about it. I mentally shake myself off. No. I'm not going to let it go this quickly.

"Silena. Just tell me." I whine.

"Go to sleep." She commands.

My mouth falls open slightly. "I'll go to sleep." The words just pour out of my mouth. I start to close my eyes but then I realize what is happening. "You're charm speaking me! Silena!" I burst out.

She mutters several Greek curses. "You're one of the first that has resisted me when I did that." She lets out a dry chuckle.

"How often do you do that to people?" I ask, slightly in awe that she has the ability to charm speak. It's a rare ability. The only other person I know who has it is our half-sister Drew, but it's not strong.

Silena shakes her head. "Not as often as you think. The last time I did it was in the winter. I had to convince the bus driver to drive me all the way to camp." She wrinkles her nose. "Honestly I find it really rude to do that to people."

I raise an eyebrow. "But you did it to me."

She sighs. "Yes, but you need to sleep. Now, sleep." Another wave of tiredness washes over me.

I point a finger towards her. "Fine. I'll sleep. But when I wake up, you will tell me everything that has happened."

* * *

Kayla and the rest of the Apollo cabin stare at me like I just sprouted horns from my head. I am completely healed except for a couple of bruises around my body, but those will be gone in the hour.

"I don't get it. You were dying! You're supposed to be dead!" Kayla exclaims. "Nobody can have those type of injuries, continually deny treatment, and still be alive!

Austin frowns at his sister. "It's not polite to say that people should be dead."

She glares at him. "Shut up! You saw her with your own eyes. I _know_ that you felt that she was completely broken. Now all she has is a couple of bumps. It's not possible!"

Chiron clears his throat. "It's a miracle. Perhaps one of the gods blessed her with quick healing. Now, all of you go back to your activities. That armory isn't going to organize itself."

Kayla mumbles several more things about everyone going crazy but she leaves with the rest of the Apollo cabin

Chiron clops in front of the bed. He stands high above me. It hurts my neck to look up at him. "I'm impressed. I've never seen a camper recover so quickly." He muses.

I shrug and hold back a hiss of pain. "Maybe it has something to do with me being, what, 75% god?"

Chiron laughs. "That is most likely the case." His face falls completely serious. "What happened?"

I scratch my head. The whole thing is a blur. "I... I don't really remember much. I remember being surrounded by Telekhines then it's just blank." I purposefully leave out the part about Hecate visiting me. Chiron doesn't need to know, especially since he would most likely tell the other gods about her visit.

"What about Percy? Do you remember what happened to him?" Chiron asks.

I shake my head but then pause. Fear grips my heart. "Isn't Percy here?"

Chiron frowns. "He never returned. Neither have Grover or Tyson."

I grip the sides of the bed for support. Three people gone. Only two returned. I can only imagine how awful Annabeth feels. I stare up at the Centaur with wide eyes. "We have to go looking for them!" I exclaim.

Chiron shakes his head sadly. "No one would have the slightest idea where to look. There are also other matters that need to be attended to."

I raise an eyebrow. "What could be more important than three missing campers?"

"Typhon is stirring." Chiron says bluntly. "After the eruption Percy somehow caused, he managed to aggravate Typhon. Hopefully he will stay put, but we can never be too sure."

"_Di immortales_." I mutter.

He nods gravely. "You have some friends that have been worried about you. When you feel up to it, you may return to your usual camp activities." Chiron leaves the infirmary with half-hearted steps. It is obvious that Grover, Tyson, and Percy's disappearances are bothering him.

I roll my legs off the side of the bed. My feet plop onto the floor like lead weights. Determination rolls into my veins. I will stand up, no matter how much it hurts. Using the bedside table to help me, I stand. My knees scream in agony and my ankles burn, but at least I'm up. The last thing I want is to sit in bed all day. I have to do something.

The door opens. Ava's eyes widen with happiness.

"Bean!" She screams in delight. Ava bounces towards me like a bunny rabbit on drugs. Her pigtails bounce behind her with ever leap. Before I can get a chance to say anything, she attacks me with a back-breaking hug.

"Avalanche!" I mumble into her camp t-shirt. Ava seems to realize that she is suffocating me because she takes two large steps back.

She smiles so largely that I swear her face is going to crack in half. "Annabeth told everyone that you died, but I never believed it!" She gushes out. Her hands dance around her as she speaks. "I told her that you dying was impossible! There was no way that you would've just died like that. It would take more than a silly volcanic explosion to put you out!"

My face twists into a huge grin from her happiness. Ava's a virus, infecting everyone within fifty feet with her glee. Before I met her, I never believed that someone could be so enthusiastic and happy for such a long time. Eventually they would have to wear out of happiness, but no. Ava never ceases to have a smile on her face. It amazes me how she is able to genuinely keep it up.

Ava loops her arm around mine. "You up for a walk around camp?" I nod. Anything to get out of the infirmary. I nod weakly and Ava doesn't waste any time to rush out the door.

The sun nearly blinds me. I have to blink my eyes several times before the dots disappear. When my vision clears, I see the true state of the camp. The Children of Hephaestus bend over the forges intensely. Their faces are lined with a thick build-up of smut and dirt. The Children of Ares are training like a true Greek military. Each person has their full-set of armor on and is practicing drills led by Clarisse, of course. My half-siblings bustle around the camp with pitchers of lemonade to keep all the campers hydrated. It truly looks like the camp turned into a military camp. Even the satyrs and wood nymphs are preparing.

Ava looks at me with a serious expression. "We have begun to set up our defensive since you guys went into the maze." Her mouth falls into a small frown. "It seems like a lot but Clarisse tells me that it's not enough."

It's hard to imagine that after all this work that everyone has done, it will all be in vain because it's not enough to stop Kronos. I refuse to think that and I hope that not a lot of people believe that also. When people stop hoping and believing, that is when hope is truly lost.

"Don't believe her, Ava. It will be enough. It _has _to be." I tell her quietly.

Her lips form a straight line, but she doesn't say anything. Ava guides me through the rest of the camp. I see much more than what I originally saw when I first came outside. The Children of Apollo are making special arrows that explode in sparks on contact. One of the arrows nearly hits us. It was a recently claimed Son of Apollo, so we can't be too mad at him. The Children of Athena are already beginning to go over battle plans in the shade of the pine. Everyone is on edge and preparing for the battle. Even the Stoll brothers are serious and preparing for potential war.

Annabeth brushes by us. Her golden hair is jumbled in a mess and her eyes are focused on the ground. I don't think she even saw that she nearly ran into Ava and me. In her hands she has piles of scrolls and books.

"Annabeth!" I call out.

She turns on her heels suddenly. Her eyes are red rimmed and her bottom lip quivers slightly. "You're out of bed." She states the obvious. I nod. Annabeth clutches to her books tighter, like they're her lifeline. "Good. We'll need you for the preparation." For some reason I have a feeling she means preparing for something more than a battle.

Ava shakes her head. "Give it some time. Maybe he will be fine just like Rina."

Annabeth turns her head so she isn't looking at us. "Maybe." She mumbles. "I... better take these to my siblings." Annabeth practically runs away from us. A book falls from her arms in the process but she doesn't even notice.

"Preparation for what?" I ask Ava.

She shrugs like it's no big deal. "Just Percy's funeral. Chiron and Annabeth are already expecting the worst. I swear neither of them have an optimistic bone in their body." She scoffs.

I frown and roll the idea of Percy's funeral around my head. I absolutely hate thinking that Percy is dead, but there is no way that he could've survived getting shot out of a volcano. Hades, I didn't even survive! Just the thought of my death brings a small weight of sadness on my chest. It feels like someone placed a small rock right where my heart is.

Ava smiles, brushing the darkness away from me. She pokes my arm playfully. "Don't you dare start thinking like everyone else. Okay? Just you standing right here is good enough proof for me that Percy is also alive. Now, come on. I want to show you some things that the Hephaestus cabin made."

* * *

Charles hands me a small metal bead. I cradle it in my hand with uncertainty.

"What is it?" I ask, not keeping my eyes off of the small ball.

Charles smiles admiringly at his creation. He reaches on his workbench and pulls out a paintball gun. "That is a shootable Greek fire."

I nearly drop it in surprise. I thrust the small bead back at Charles. "You can have it back now!" Greek fire is an extremely dangerous weapon, and I don't want to think what would happen if I accidentally dropped it.

He chuckles and takes it away from me with two large fingers. Charles loads it into the paintball gun where there are hundreds of beads just like it. "Because of its size, it won't start a very large fire. Several of these babies shot at a monster, and suddenly they are engulfed in flames. I made them myself."

Silena laughs. We all jump in surprise since none of us knew that she was standing there. This only makes Silena's smile grow. She walks over to Charles and rests her head on his shoulder.

"Telling them all the things you made?" Silena muses.

Charles smiles. "Yeah. Ava wanted to show Rina what we're going to use to keep the monsters out of our camp."

Silena sighs in content when Charles wraps his arm around her waist. My gut fills with the pure feeling of love at just being in the same room as the couple. They both love each other very much. You don't have to be a Child of Aphrodite to know that. Her eyes move off of Charles's face and towards me.

"Did you sleep well?" She asks.

I nod.

Silena smiles in relief. She gives me one last glance over to see if I'm alright. "I'm not even going to ask how you healed so quickly. As long as you're walking, then I don't care." She turns towards Charles and Ava. "Do you mind if I talk with my sister alone?" Both of them told her that they don't mind. Charles went back to making Greek fire paintballs and Ava joined her siblings in fighting exercises.

Silena guides me out of the stuffy forges. A thin layer of sweat lines both of our skins from the heat given off. I am able to have it clear up right away while Silena still looks like she ran several miles.

"So, what happened to camp while I was gone?" I ask my question from earlier.

Silena sighs. "A lot of things happen. Not many of them good. Juniper is feeling ill. Her leaves are turning yellow. Some of Demeter's kids went out to look at her tree and didn't see anything wrong with her, so she isn't sick with a fungus or anything like that. But I do think she's sick with worry."

"Because Grover hasn't come back." I say but it isn't necessary. Grover and Juniper have been dating for a while. They both have become close, so it's only natural for her to be worried about her boyfriend.

She nods. "And... another thing about Grover..."

I frown at her hesitation and motion with my hand to signal her to keep going.

"His searcher's license has been revoked." She gushes out.

My mouth falls open in shock. "But, that's not fair! It hasn't even been a week!"

Her blue eyes cloud with worry. "Rina, it has been so much longer than a week. And if Grover does come back, he will be exiled. It's not looking good for him at all."

I wring my hands together nervously. "Grover can talk to them. Maybe Chiron can convince them to reconsider it. Time moves faster in the Labyrinth. They have to understand!"

She shakes her head. "Chiron already did as much as he could by giving him a week. There is no changing their minds."

My mind runs through every way possible that I can convince the council to reconsider this. Many of the situations involve me holding a knife up to their necks or possibly threatening to chop down their favorite nymphs' trees.

Silena gasps. "Stop thinking what you're thinking! You had the same look on your face when you beat up Ralph. Swear on the River Styx that you won't threaten any of the council members. Swear it!"

I grumble several curses under my breath but eventually swear that I won't threaten any of them. Gods know that if I didn't, Silena would never talk to be again.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about." Silena says.

"What?"

She reaches into her bag and pulls out a light pink fabric. She hands it to me. It's silky and beautiful. The stitches are perfect and form a gorgeous picture of a dove with a sword in its claws. Small roses embroider on the edge. It takes me several seconds to realize that this is my burial shroud.

"Two days after Annabeth returned and you didn't, Drew asked me if I wanted to make this. She said that you gave her the design and she said... she said that you would probably want me to make it." Silena's voice cracks slightly.

I'm stunned. Never in a million years did I think that Drew would do what I asked her to do. She actually kept her word that if anything happened to me, she would make sure that my shroud was made the way I wanted it to be made.

"You didn't think that you were coming back alive. Did you?"

I stare at the grass. "I was just being prepared. If something did happen to me, I wanted to make sure that there wasn't any glitter of anything like that on my shroud."

Silena stares at the shroud in my hand. "I just hope that I never have to see it used. Now, come on. Let's help Charlie with testing his inventions."

* * *

_Clarisse's limp is getting worse. She hasn't said anything but I know it has._

_"__Clarisse..." I start._

_She whips around to glare at me. The Labyrinth is still so bright that it seems like we're standing under a bunch of fluorescent lights. "I'm fine." She snaps. Clarisse stomps further slightly so we aren't walking so close together. Her knee buckles every time she stomps with her bad leg and the sweatshirt I wrapped around her wound is soaked with blood._

_"__Go easy on your leg." I tell her._

_"__I said that I'm fine!" Clarisse snarls._

_I grab her arm and force her to stop. I jab one finger at her face. Clarisse's eyes go wide with surprise. "You're not fine. Let me look at it. I think I might have some ambrosia in my pocket." I dig into my jean pocket and pull out a small cube of ambrosia. Lucky for us, I happened to bring it along but only just remembered it.  
_

_Clarisse frowns. "We should save that for an emergency."_

_I glare at her with such intensity that would put Athena to shame. "This _is_ an emergency. You're bleeding really bad and I don't know how much longer you can walk on it like that." Without her consent, I stuff the cube of ambrosia in her mouth. Clarisse swallows it slowly. "Better?" I ask._

_Clarisse nods. She turns back around and marches ahead. "I'll get us out of here." She says suddenly. "This is my fault and I'll fix it."_

_I say nothing and continue to follow her through the maze._

_Thinking about one's death is a terrible thing to think about. As my mind flips through the many ways that I can die, I strangely accept it. If I'm going to die down here, then I might as well come to terms with it. If I die, then maybe I can see my father again. I actually find it quite peaceful to accept that this all might come to an end very quickly._

_I look around me then stop. It's like a slap to my face that's telling me to 'wake up and realize what I'm thinking about'. An owl is spray-painted with a bright red on the maze's wall. Its eyes dig into me with the same intensity that the goddess it represents would have. I swallow and continue to follow Clarisse through the hallways._

_We pause in a huge room. In the center there is a shallow well with something at the bottom. It's looks black and sticky. All I know is that it's not water._

_She sits on the edge of the well. Clarisse leans back slightly so that the small light coming from somewhere on the ceiling reflects off of her sword. "We should rest for a while. It wouldn't be good to wear ourselves out."_

_I take a seat next to her. We both have the same shallow breathes and nervous twitches at the slightest noise._

_Suddenly, Clarisse leans back too far. She topples backwards into the small well. There is a small smash and a clang of her sword hitting the stone edges._

_I lean over the edge to see if she's okay. Thank the gods the well isn't so deep that there would be no hope of ever getting her out. If I really stretch, Clarisse should be able to jump and grab my hand._

_"__Are you okay?" I ask. I see a shadowy figure stand up in the well. She rubs the back of her head but is alive._

_"__Fine! Gods I'm an idiot." She hisses at herself._

_I frown. It isn't like Clarisse to just fall backwards into wells. "Why did you fall?" I ask, even though it might be a very dumb question._

_I hear her sigh. "I... felt a little dizzy and I just fell over. I'm fine. I really am."_

_I shake my head. "No, you're not. You must have lost too much blood."_

_"__I said I'm fine, okay?" Clarisse yells. "There's nothing wrong with me so stop looking at me like there is!"_

_I sigh. Yes, because people who have nothing wrong with them normally fall backwards into small wells. Obviously the ambrosia didn't help as much as I hoped it would and I have no more left. Clarisse will just have to hold on until we get back to camp._

_I stretch down as far as I can and reach my hand out to her. My other hand grabs the side of the well so I don't tumble down after her. "Grab my hand." I command._

_Clarisse reaches for my hand but there is still about a foot difference. If she jumps then I will have her, but can she jump with her leg? Clarisse prepares to jump for my hand when we hear a sound of footsteps._

_"__Something's coming." I whisper._

_"__Drag me up now." Clarisse hisses._

_A woman cackles on the other side of the room. "Too late!" A rusty voice sings. I turn around to see a pale woman wearing a dress that looks and smells centuries old. There are several stains of blood and the occasional splotch of mustard. Her teeth are sharp and yellow. Her eyes are dark red. The woman's hair is so thin that you can see her scalp._

_"__What is it, Rina?" Clarisse shouts. I ignore her because I have no clue what it is either. Despite not knowing what I'm up against, I point my knife in her direction._

_The woman cackles in delight. Her laugh sends shivers up my spine. "What am I? Why, that isn't polite. Don't you mean to ask, who am I?" Her lips curl into a cruel smile._

_Clarisse scoffs at her from down in the well. "No, I mean what in the Hades kind of monster are you?" She shouts up._

_The woman completely ignores her. "I'm Lamia, and I'm your worst nightmare." I rake my mind for any idea of who Lamia is, but I come up blank. She laughs manically. It's more uncomfortable to watch than scary. Lamia is trying her best to be terrifying but instead she looks awkward and almost hilarious to watch. She curls her fingers into claws. Her sharp nails dig into the wall of the maze._

_"__Who's Lamia?" I ask._

_She frowns. "Perhaps this will refresh your memory of who I am!" She cackles again. With her two dirty hands, she plucks out both of her eyeballs. Lamia squeals with delight at the sight of my disgusted face. Somehow, despite the eyes being removed from her head, she can still see. "Be afraid, young child! I enjoy feeling your fear!"_

_My grip tightens around my knife. "I still have no clue who you are."_

_Lamia jams her eyes back in her head with a sickening sound. She looks terribly disappointed. "Perhaps you're just too young. Not a lot of children know who I am. I'm sure if you would've lived several more years, then you would know who I am. But that's a shame since I'm going to eat you!" She snarls._

_Lamia is about to attack me when Clarisse speaks up. "Wait. Are you that one queen who had an affair with Zeus?" I can hear the anger in her voice. She is purposefully distracting Lamia so that I can stab her without much of a fight._

_Her hideous face brightens. "So you have heard of me? Why, I was an amazing queen. It's no wonder that Zeus fell in love with me." She turns towards me. "Are you absolutely sure that you have no idea who I am?"_

_I shrug. "Sorry. I wasn't allowed to learn about Zeus's past flings where I'm from."_

_She bares her teeth. "I wasn't just a fling! He loved me!" Lamia straightens out her filthy dress. "Never mind that. I'm going to kill you now. Then your friend in the well." Lamia lunges for me but narrowly misses. I slice her with my knife and she lets out a terrible howl._

_"__Didn't Hera steal your children when she found out about you and Zeus?" Clarisse yells, panic rising in her voice. She feels absolutely helpless being stuck on the bottom of the well while I'm fighting for our lives._

_Lamia lets out a wail of despair. "Why must you bring that up?" She shrieks. Taking her distraction to my advantage, I stab my knife in her chest. Right where her heart should be. Lamia gasps and falls to the ground. Her body lays as stiff as a board._

_"__Leave the knife in." Clarisse commands. "If you take it out, then she'll just keep coming back. Now help me out of here!"_

_I reluctantly leave my dagger behind. I'm completely weaponless but I still follow Clarisse's advice. Even though Lamia was pretty easy to defeat, she most likely be more ready for a sudden attack next time._

_There is a large weight difference between Clarisse and me. I'm smaller, barely reaching her shoulders. Clarisse is buff and packed with muscles while I'm more on the skinny side. It's a two ton truck verses a bike. Let's just say that it was incredibly difficult pulling Clarisse out of the well. By the time she is back on ground, my shoulder feels like it's dislocated and stars dance around my head._

_Clarisse helps me up. She frowns at our surroundings. "Let's just get out of here."_


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you everyone for your support of this story! xoxoxoxo**

**~~Just to clarify, since I did get a question about this, it isn't said directly but Rina is about Nico's ago. So I hope that puts things in perspective. :)~~**

* * *

These past few days I have worried a lot. I have worried about camp. I have worried about the Labyrinth. I have worried about Percy. I have even worried about the fish in the lake after an undetermined camper tried to wash their dirty laundry in the water. But I have not worried as much as all those things combined compared to how worried I am about Annabeth. She rarely comes out of her cabin and hasn't come to any of the meals. Her siblings occasionally bring her food, but most of the time she stays cooped up in her cabin. They say that she studying battle tactics but I can see that they're incredibly worried about her too.

When I _did_ see her out and about, she would always say that she was too busy to spar or snack on strawberries. She claimed that she needed to prepare for the battle. And when I offered to help her with that, she said that she worked better on her own.

I knock on the door to the Athena cabin. There is a muffled sound of papers shuffling and a small 'come in'. Annabeth sits at her desk with fists clenching her hair. The curtains are drawn, papers are scattered all around her, and the only light is a small lamp. The dim light casts long shadows on the huge bookcases, which makes the room look strangely creepy. She looks almost surprised when she sees me. "Rina. I thought you were Malcolm with some food." In the dim light I almost don't notice that her eyes are swollen and there are bags under her eyelids. Almost.

"I wanted to see how you're doing. I haven't seen you in several days." I say.

Annabeth sighs. "I have been worried about the..."

"Battle." I finish.

"Yeah, the battle." Annabeth mutters.

I move so that I'm sitting in a chair next to the desk. There are tear stains on the sheets and many sentences with frustrated scribbles through them.

"Are you okay?" I ask quietly.

Annabeth nods a tad too violently. Her tangled, blonde hair shakes around her like snakes. "I'm fine. Just tired with all the... preparations. I... I... ahh... I have worked day in and out on battle techniques and..." She pauses. "Chiron put me in charge of making Percy's burial shroud." She says in a small voice. Several tears run down her face, but she quickly wipes them away. Annabeth digs through her stack of paper until she finds one that looks like it was crumpled up then straightened out again. She places it in my hand.

It's a design for the shroud. It's very simple with a trident embroidered in the middle of the robe.

"I..." Annabeth falters. "I think that Percy would like something more plain and simple. He doesn't need anything super fancy like scented leaves woven into the shroud or anything like that. Do you think that it's fine?"

I stare at the piece of paper. It's so simple but I have a feeling that if Percy was here, he would think that it's just right. "I think that he would love it."

Annabeth breathes out like she was holding her breath for a thousand years. She takes the design and pins it on the board hanging above the desk.

I look down at my hands. "Don't blame yourself." I say suddenly.

She looks at me with a wild look in her eyes. "But it's my fault. It's my fault that Grover and Tyson are missing. It's my fault that Percy is dead. It's my fault that you came walking into camp looking like you were mauled by a bear. It's all my fault. I know you're trying to make me feel better, but it is my fault."

I reach towards her but she pulls away. Annabeth runs her shaky fingers through her hair. "If I had just made you two come with me or stayed with you then this wouldn't be happening." She lets out a crazy laugh. "If we hadn't split up in the first place then everyone would be safe. I should've never let us separate."

"You can't talk this way. It's not healthy to blame yourself for something that clearly isn't!" I reply.

She covers her face with her hands. "I was supposed to lead this quest. It was my responsibility to make sure we all got back safely. Do you know how horrible I felt when I was the only one who made it back to camp in one piece? I would rather be stabbed to death than feel that ever again." She croaks. "And Percy is _dead_ because I'm not a competent leader. I-I know everyone expects me to be strong about this, but I can't! I just can't let it go."

I pull her into a hug and this time she doesn't pull away. Instead she clings to me very tightly and cries into my shoulder. Nothing I can say will make her feel better about this. Annabeth has to figure out on her own that none of this is her fault. The only way that she can move on is if she comes to that conclusion by herself. But she's stubborn and something tells me that she never will.

"Are you hungry?" I ask quietly.

"No." Annabeth says. Her stomach grumbles. I laugh silently and I swear I see a small smile on her face. "Maybe a little."

I stand up. "Then let's go get dinner."

She shakes her head. Annabeth turns back to her papers. "I... have too much work to do. I need to get all this finished." She gestures towards various maps of the camp and different sheets with battle plans.

I sit back down. "You need a break. You're going to run yourself in the ground." Annabeth doesn't respond. Then it hits me what the real reason that Annabeth doesn't want to leave the cabin. "Are you... are you afraid of what people think of you?"

She scoffs at me and rubs several stray tears from her face. "Of course not. I'm Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena. Why would it matter what everyone thinks of me?"

"Annabeth. Don't lie to me." I scold.

She glares at me, scribbles something on a piece of paper, then turns towards me. "I don't want to talk about it, Rina."

"So you admit that the reason that you don't want to go eat dinner because of something more than work."

She raises a finger. "I never said that."

"You implied it."

Annabeth sighs. "Fine! Fine. I'm embarrassed." She takes in my confused expression. "If I can't lead a group of five people through a silly quest, then how can I be expected to lead an entire cabin in war?"

I place my hands on my hips. "Name one person who doesn't think you're a good leader." She stays silent. "Exactly! You're _Annabeth Chase_, for gods' sake! Why would you care what people think of you?"

The edges of her mouth curve into an almost-smile at me using her words against her. "Maybe getting some dinner won't hurt."

I smile. Finally I was getting somewhere with Annabeth. This was the longest conversation I have had with her ever since I returned to camp. We left her cabin and ate dinner at the Athena table. And I like to think that for the first time in days, Annabeth completely forgot about her responsibilities and enjoyed herself.

* * *

Another week had passed and no news came about whether or no Percy was alive. Though it saddened him, Chiron officially proclaimed that Percy Jackson is dead. Camp completely shut down for the day. Every single camper is walking to the amphitheater to attend Percy's funeral. Even the people who never really knew him are paying their respects. Even the Ares Cabin are staying respectful.

The moment when I see the large pile of wood is when it really hits me. Before now, I never seemed to completely realize that Percy isn't coming back. I have been in some sort of denial and held onto hope that I never gave myself a chance to grieve. Now, two weeks after the volcano incident, I know that Percy will never return to Camp Halfblood. I will never see my friend ever again. This is the end.

Instead of feeling sad, I just feel incredibly angry at Hephaestus for sending us to his forge, at the telekhines, and even angry at Mount St. Helens for existing. Hot, angry tears race down my face. My hands clench together so hard that they're pure white. The anger deep down in my gut screams for revenge. There's nothing I want more to do now than to race to Hephaestus's forge and stab him in the face, even if he wasn't directly the cause of Percy's death.

Annabeth's shoulders shake with the tears that she's holding back. It's like she has cried so much that she can't bear to cry anymore. She holds the shroud in her hands like it's a newborn child.

I sit next to Silena who rubs my back comfortingly. She must assume that I feel sad because she tells me that everything will be okay and that Percy would want me to be happy again. What she should tell me is that Percy doesn't want me to die trying to avenge him against a god. _That_ would be better than saying that Percy wouldn't want me to feel sad or that he probably got Asylum.

Someone walks forward and starts the fire. It's time for the ceremony to begin. The pile of wood bursts into flames that match the mood of the camp. Instead of the usual cheery yellow, it's a dark black with flickers of blue.

Chiron steps forward with Annabeth close behind. He gazes at the fire with sad eyes. "It has been two weeks since Percy has gone missing. Even longer since he left for the quest in the Labyrinth with his companions. After such a long absence and the circumstances of what happened, we can only assume that Percy Jackson is dead. It is unlikely that our prayers will ever be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors." He steps back and lets Annabeth walk towards the flames.

Annabeth gazes at the shroud one last time then sets it in the flames. After that, she can't bring herself to look back at the piece of fabric as it burns to ash. "He was the bravest friend that I have ever had." Annabeth chokes back a sob then her face turns a bright red. Then it turns to horror. "He's right there!" She shrieks. We all turn our heads to see Percy himself standing at the entrance to the amphitheater.

At first I thought that this was a ghost, but Percy looks too solid to be one. Silena nudges me forward. I don't waste any time to race towards him. In a matter of seconds, I have him trapped in a large hug. Then I step back and slap him hard in the face. The other campers make sounds that range from 'ouch' to 'ooo'. Inside I feel satisfied when my hand print stays on his cheek. At least now he knows a fraction of what he put us through.

Chiron trots over to us. People move to make room for the large centaur. "Well," Chiron breathes out. "I don't think I have ever been happier to see a camper return. But Percy, you must tell-"

Annabeth steps forward and nearly falls off the stage into the fire, but she catches herself. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" She yells. I quickly move out of the way as she barrels towards him at a frightening speed. The campers were smart enough to dive out of her way. The ones who weren't were pushed aside by a very determined Daughter of Athena. Annabeth engulfs Percy in a huge, bone-crushing hug. Annabeth pulls away immediately. "I thought you were dead, seaweed brain." She whispers with raw emotion.

"I'm sorry. I got lost." Percy says.

Annabeth narrows her eyes. "LOST? FOR TWO WEEKS? Percy, where-"

Chiron holds up his hand. "Annabeth, it would be best to discuss this elsewhere." He turns towards the campers that gathered for Percy's funeral. "Back to your regular activities!" He commands. Chiron grabs the back of Percy's shirt and places him on his back. Then he does the same to Annabeth. And lastly, me.

* * *

All the times that I imagined riding on Chiron's back, a grand total of two times, I never imagined it being this uncomfortable. Maybe it's because there isn't enough room for three people on the centaur's back or maybe it's because he just has a bony back. Either way, I don't want to ride on Chiron's back ever again.

We stop in front of the Big House. The second Chiron comes to a stop, I hop off. Percy has some difficulty but Annabeth and I help him. If it was terrible for me, I can only imagine how bad the ride was for Percy since he is a boy.

Chiron leads us into the Big House. He sits down in his wheelchair while Annabeth, Percy, and I sit in the surrounding chairs by the fireplace.

"Percy, tell us everything." Chiron says.

Percy sucks in a deep breath. "So the dog-fish surrounded me-"

Annabeth sighs. "They're called telekhines."

He shrugs. "Okay, so the telekhines surrounded me. They started to throw lava at me and at first it was fine. Being the Son of Poseidon made me resistant to the fire. But it starting wearing off and I called to the ocean."

I raise an eyebrow. "You called to the ocean in the middle of a volcano?"

Percy nods. "Well it was just something the water nymph at Triple G Ranch told me. The ocean is always inside of me. Then somehow I made the volcano erupt and I flew out and landed on an island."

"I wasn't so lucky." I mumble into my hands.

Percy looks at me. His eyebrows come together. "What do you mean?"

I sigh. "I got flown out of the volcano too."

"But didn't you go with Annabeth to Hephaestus's forge?"

Annabeth kicks her shoe at the rug. "There wasn't enough time. She couldn't turn invisible like me so Rina volunteered to stay behind so I could get to the forge." She says bitterly. Several days ago, Annabeth stopped moping around and instead became a ball of bitterness. Honestly, it was better than having her sit in her cabin all day crying, but she said some of the coldest things to some of the campers. I see that even though Percy has come back from the dead, the bitterness is still there.

Percy's eyes grow wide. His hands run through his hair. "I'm sorry, Rina! If I knew that you were there then I never would've done it. Are you okay? Oh my gods."

Physically, yes. Mentally, not so much, but I don't tell him that. I nod my head. "Stop worrying. I'm fine. Completely fine." I send pointed looks towards Annabeth and Chiron to dare them to tell Percy the condition I was in when I returned to camp. "Just continue with your story."

He clears his throat. Percy looks like he wants to ask more about what happened, but he continues with his story. "After a while, Hephaestus found me. He told me that I could leave, so I did."

"How _did _you leave the island?" Chiron asks.

Percy wiggles in his spot. "On a magical raft." Chiron nods. Surprisingly he immediately accepts the answer. But I guess when you've been involved in the mythical world for so long, nothing ever surprises you. Honestly, I'm not that surprised either. In fact, I have several theories of what happened to Percy. Maybe it has something to do with the weird fuzzy feeling I keep getting from him when he talks about the island or the way his eyes looked sort of sad when he talks about leaving.

Annabeth leans back in her chair. Her face has regained some color, which is a very good sign. I was beginning to think that she went into shock. "You've been gone for two weeks. _Two weeks_. I was so worried about both of you. When I heard the explosion, I thought that..."

Percy frowns. "I know and I'm really sorry. I'm really sorry to you too, Rina. I really didn't mean to blast you out of the volcano with me."

I smile at him. "It's fine. It's not every day that someone can say that they were blasted out of a volcano."

He shakes his head. "I'm still really sorry. I didn't mean to worry or hurt either of you. But I figured out how to get through the Labyrinth when I talked to Hephaestus."

Annabeth's face lights up. "He told you the answer?"

"Well, he told me that I already knew like Hera did. But now I really know. You know Rachael Dare?"

Annabeth stiffens. "I remember her."

Percy doesn't pay any attention to her sharp tone or her stiff posture. "Well, she will lead us through the maze." Annabeth's mouth falls open. Chiron leans back in his wheelchair with a brooding expression on his face. My face looks like Percy just pulled down his pants, spread pudding all over his face, then proceeded to compliment Mr. D on how powerful and great he is. She thought that he was absolutely insane. "She can see through the mist really well, maybe better than us. Rachael will be able to guide us through the maze." Percy explains.

"Percy, that's absolutely crazy!" Annabeth exclaims.

I shake my head. "I agree with Annabeth. That plan is just going to put another person in danger."

Chiron strokes his beard. Annabeth's face almost looks smug. "There is a precedent, though. Theseus used Ariadne to navigate the maze. Harriet Tubman, Daughter of Hermes, used mortals in her Underground Railroad for just this reason." Annabeth's face falls at his words.

She waves her hands frantically around her. "But this is my quest. Chiron! It is my job to lead it."

The centaur leans forward. "I know that, my dear. It is your quest, but you need help."

Then Annabeth does something to Chiron that I never thought she would do in a million years. She sneers at him. "And _this_ is supposed to help? No! It'll just make everything worse! It's wrong! It's cowardly! It's-"

"Hard to admit you need a mortal's help." Percy interrupts.

I cough awkwardly. "Maybe Percy has a point. Maybe-"

The Daughter of Athena throws her hands in the air. "Not you too!" She cries out.

"Annabeth," Percy starts, acting much calmer than her. "It's true. We need her help."

She glares at him. Percy shrinks back in his chair but doesn't back down. It's amazing how he's able to hold her gaze without bursting into tears like she made a Daughter of Hermes do several days ago.

"You are the most annoying person I have ever met. Gods!" Annabeth storms out of the room. The room shakes when she slams the door shut.

Percy frowns. His hands clench in his lap. "So much for the bravest friend she's ever had."

Chiron chuckles. "She'll calm down. She's just jealous."

Percy's eyebrows come together. "Jealous? But..." His cheeks turn red. "It's not like that! It's not."

I stand up abruptly. "In case you haven't noticed yet, Annabeth is very, territorial when it comes to her friends. We were both so worried about you and when you came in here talking about an island..." A nasty feeling climbs in my stomach. There is almost no doubt in my mind that Percy landed on Ogygia. What really upsets me is that if Hephaestus never talked to him, I doubt that my friend would've ever come back. "I know where you were, Percy." I say quietly.

His eyes widen slightly. "I... uhh..."

I hold up my hand to stop him. "You don't have to explain yourself. Just... thank you for coming back. You're a good friend and I would hate to have you stay on that island for forever. Annabeth is thankful too, but she's having a hard time showing it." I shuffle my shoes on the rug awkwardly. "I'm going to go and make sure Annabeth is alright." Before Percy or Chiron could say anything, I rush out the door.

I glance around my surroundings. There is no sign of where Annabeth went. After checking her cabin and the sword arena, I'm completely out of options. It's like she has disappeared off the face of the earth.

I grab a new camper from the collar of the shirt and press them against the tree. This poor kid is a just-claimed Son of Athena. He's new enough that he doesn't know that when Annabeth asks to be left alone, you are under no circumstances to tell anyone where she is. He's been here long enough to know who Annabeth is. Perfect.

"Listen, kid. I'm looking for Annabeth. Where is she?" I say, even though I'm at the most several years older than him.

His brown eyebrows come together. "Annabeth? I just saw her..." He pauses. "Wait, I remember her telling me that I shouldn't tell anyone where she went."

I tighten my hold on the boy. His grey eyes widen with fear. I bet that Athena is frowning down at me right now from her throne in Olympus. "I'm her friend. I need to know where she went." I tell him.

He shakes his head. "I can't tell!" He whines.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I pull my knife out of my purse and stab it in the tree, right next to his head. His eyes look at it fearfully.

I smile. "Now, where is Annabeth?"

* * *

Of all the places that she had to be, Annabeth just _had_ to be here. The mud seeps into my shoes, causing me to cringe. Being a Child of Aphrodite means that mud is our kryptonite. I pride myself in not being like my girly-girl siblings, but mud is just disgusting. It's filthy and it gets everywhere. Even through the tiniest cracks of armor. If I had one wish, it would be to make all the mud on earth disappear.

A tree branch smacks me in the face then there is a chorus of giggles.

"Nymphs." I huff out. Why some of the gods are so into them is beyond me. There are a few, like Juniper, who are lovely to talk to. But most of them are just mischievous and will look for any reason to mess with you.

A nymph with plump red cheeks and cherry colored hair pops up in front of me. She's wearing a short green dress that looks like it's made out of leaves, which it most likely is. "Rina, what are you doing in these parts of the woods?" She says with a song-like voice. She rocks back and forth on her heels.

I cross my arms and give myself an intimidating expression. "I'm looking for Annabeth. I know she's at the meadow so if you would please let me pass." I try to get around her but the nymph is quick. She blocks my every move.

Rose wiggles her finger at me. "Oh no, you aren't getting through. Annabeth said to not let anyone see her. Especially not that 'stupid Son of Poseidon'." She covers her mouth as she giggles.

I gesture towards myself. "Do I look like a Son of Poseidon?"

She chews on her lip and shrugs. "Maybe."

I raise an eyebrow. "Maybe?"

Rose shrugs again. "Maybe." She repeats.

I have to keep my arms glued to my side so I don't smack her on the side of her head. "Rose, please let me go to the meadow." I grit my teeth.

The nymph dances around me. "But the Daughter of Athena doesn't want to see anyone. And the meadow was made specially for people to go to when they don't want to see anyone."

My nails dig into my palms. Rose is really starting to irritate me. "I know that but don't you think that-"

Rose screams suddenly. She slaps her hand on my mouth. "Were you about to say _her_ name?"

I pry her hand off of my mouth and take a step back so I'm no longer in her reach.

The nymph's face is pure fear. "You cannot speak her name! It is taboo to say the name of a deceased nymph. Just saying her name might tear her soul apart! Names have power, you know." She lowers her voice noticeably. Rose looks over her shoulder as if someone is watching her.

"I wasn't about to say her name." I groan.

Rose smiles. She looks almost relieved. "Good! I don't know what I would've done. Probably would've burst into tears. She was my best friend, you know, and I don't want her soul to be torn apart."

I shuffle my feet in the grass. "Well, Annabeth is my best friend. Let me go to the meadow. What if our positions were switched? She would've wanted you to help."

Rose frowns. "But that goes against everything the meadow goes against. That goes against her sacrifice. I don't..."

"Please, Rose. Let me talk to my friend." I beg.

The nymph looks torn. "She would want me to help." She mutters under her breath. Rose does a 180 degree emotional flip. Her face breaks into a smile and she grabs my hand. "You need a nymph's permission into the meadow, so come on!"

We race through the meadow. Rose skips over dead logs and in between trees while I'm struggling to keep up. She can skip surprisingly fast. Rose is like an antelope or something. It's insane. The trees start to spread out until we come to a clearing. If I look closely then I can see the ripple of mist in the shape of a dome over the meadow.

The nymph stops in front the border. A solemn look passes over her face. "Before you enter, I must tell you the story."

I frown. "But I already know the story. The Apollo cabin told me about it a long time ago."

Rose shakes her head. "It's tradition, and they may have gotten the story wrong. Only I know the truth. Forty-three years ago, there was a beautiful nymph who roamed these woods. She was kind to everyone and loved everywhere. She used to go into camp and helped out the campers. One day, she caught the eye of a particular Son of Apollo. She fell in love with his music and his poems. Then she stayed in love because of his kindness and bravery. They were truly special. The couple even had the blessing of Aphrodite! One day, however, it all went away. The Son of Apollo died on a quest for the goddess Aphrodite. When she found out, the nymph went into this clearing and burned down her own tree. Aphrodite is a kind goddess. She felt sadness for the loss of a gorgeous love and two beautiful people. Aphrodite made this meadow so that their love can live on forever. Many campers seek refuge here because it is very calming and a sense of peace washes over all."

Poor Rose looks like she is close to tears. She wipes her eyes frantically and plasters a fake smile on her face. "The only way in is for a nymph or Aphrodite herself to open the barrier of mist. Annabeth is lucky to have a caring friend like you." She digs her hands into what looks like pure air, then pulls apart. It seems like the very fabric of the world is pulled back. I step through the hole in the mist and nearly gasp at the sight. I have never been inside of the meadow but I've heard stories and none of them can truly capture the beauty.

There are no words to describe it accurately. The sky is bluer and the clouds seem fluffier. Waves of lilac rush towards my nose. It seems like there are miles of waving grass and prairie flowers around me. I wouldn't doubt if this little oasis does go on for forever. Sitting on a red picnic basket are a beautiful woman with mahogany hair and pointy ears, a man with bleach blonde hair and odd clothing, and Annabeth. She is talking at a million miles per hour, her hands waving around her just as fast. Both the man and woman listen carefully. Occasionally they would nod their head or comment.

The woman looks up at me. Her face forms a beautiful smile. "Aikarina, please join us!" She calls out. The ground seems to fold just so that I can be closer to the blanket. One minute I'm stand hundreds of feet away from them, the next I'm so close that I could whisper and they would hear me. The woman, who I now see is a nymph hands me a cup of water and a plate with a ham sandwich on it.

I sit down on the blanket, next to Annabeth, awkwardly. "I prefer Rina, actually."

The nymph grabs the hand of her beloved. "Oh, of course. Just like how Vincent prefers to be called Vinny." The man leans down and kisses her forehead. "My name is Kariye but it would be better not to call me that since it _is_ taboo to speak a dead nymph's name. It's silly that many think that saying the name of a nymph can tear a soul apart, but we must respect their customs. Many simply call me Peach since I am a nymph with a peach tree."

My eyes widen. They're both the lovers from the story, but them being here would break ancient laws. The dead cannot leave the Underworld. Hades would never allow. But then their forms shimmer in the light and reveals that they aren't real.

"We're not the real deal, but I would like to think we are." Vinny explains. "Your mother, Aphrodite, created this oasis so that we can help. We are merely projections, but our love is real, nonetheless." Peach giggles and pecks him on the cheek. They both are puzzle pieces that fit perfectly. I'm not sure if it's beautiful or sickening to watch.

I turn towards Annabeth since she hasn't said anything since I have come here. Annabeth sips from her cup but refuses to look me in the eyes. "I needed someone to vent to after Percy just came back like that. In fact, I have been her quite often in the past few weeks. They're both very helpful." She explains.

Peach smiles. "And you are a joy to have with us, Annabeth. We both have enjoyed your company." She frowns at me. "But it seems that Rina is not happy about this."

I nearly slam my plate down on the blanket. A sudden urge to get all of my problems off my chest fills me. "Honestly, no I'm not. Why didn't you just come to me?"

Annabeth gets a distant look in her eyes. "You weren't here when I started coming. I thought you were dead too. I was broken. Absolutely broken thinking that I was the only one who survived. I needed someone to talk to and one of my siblings suggested I come here."

Peach and Vinny hold each other closer at that. Peach looks over her shoulder at a burnt tree that seems out of place in the beautiful valley. "The loss of someone you love can make you do desperate things. I'm glad that we were able to help Annabeth." She says quietly.

Vinny nuzzles his face into Peach's hair. "Me too." He mumbles.

The scene changes from a valley to a small garden. Many different smells fill the air but they don't clash with each other. Instead they complement each other and build each smell up to its best potential. The picnic blanket changes to a metal table surrounded by chairs. Lilacs surround us and small wooden owls scatter the garden like small guardians.

Annabeth sighs. "They don't like to stay in one place for too long. The scene changes to match our needs and their want to change things. Like a compromise. I guess it's perfect since this place was created by Aphrodite."

I nod. "Love is both selfish and selfless at the same time."

Vinny and Peach share a look that says it all. They look so desperately in love.

Annabeth clears her throat. "Um... Peach? Can you escort us out? We're ready to leave now."

Peach grins at the Daughter of Athena. "Are you sure? Do you need to talk more?" Annabeth shakes her head. The nymph stands up and extends her hands to both of us. We take her hands and she leads us out of the garden. The ground seems to move for us. The edge comes closer and closer until we are stand right in front of it. I reach out to touch the almost liquid layer but my hand falls right through.

The nymph giggles. "Only nymphs or the goddess Aphrodite can bend the layer of mist that protects my oasis." Peach tears open the layer just like Rose did before. Her smile looks almost sad. "Goodbye, friends. I hope that one day we will meet again." Annabeth and I say goodbye before stepping out of the tear. It closes behind us with a smacking sound, making it impossible for us to return to the meadow.

Annabeth leads the way out of the woods. She seems to be so familiar with the area that she can probably walk blindfolded.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask.

The Daughter of Athena shrugs. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm fine." She snaps.

I rush to catch up to her. "If you want to talk about it..."

Annabeth sighs. "Really, I am. I'm just irritated with Percy. More than usual." She clenches her fists together. "Just sometimes it's like he has seaweed in his head instead of a brain!

I nod and urge her to keep going.

Annabeth turns away from me. She stares off in the distance. "I thought he was dead. I had already mourned for him and I made a promise to myself that after the funeral I wouldn't cry about him ever again. I was about to attempt to move on and then he just _had_ to be alive!"

My eyebrows come together in confusion. "You don't want him to be alive?"

She shakes her head wildly. "No! Of course I want him alive! It's just... I think that he was on Ogygia."

"I know."

"What's really bothering me is that while I was bawling my eyes out every day, Percy was probably kissing Calypso or-or... I don't know. Something _romantic_." Her eyes narrow dangerously and she glares at the dirt like Calypso's face is down there.

"He wouldn't." I tell her. "He wouldn't kiss her after you kissed him at Mount St. Helens."

Annabeth bites her lip in concentration. "Maybe." She gestures towards the Athena cabin once Camp Halfblood is in sight. "I'm going to... ah... look over my notes. See you tomorrow?"

"See ya." She starts to turn away. "You know, Percy likes you too." I say.

Annabeth pauses. "I don't like Percy." She makes a point to put the most disgusted expression on her face. She can't fool me.

A smile breaks out on my face from her denying the truth. "Sure you don't."

She looks at me one last time. "I don't!" She insists. Annabeth closes the door to the cabin behind her.

She may be able to fool herself, but she most certainly can't fool me. Maybe one day she'll realize that she does like him like that.


End file.
